The world's eyes are turning once again towards the Giza Desert, where the pyramids and the Sphinx have long borne witness to the passage of the centuries and the massive efforts of our ancient forbears.
Now, another massive effort is underway, this time to complete the Grand Egyptian Museum, which will showcase the treasures of that ancient civilization. The museum is the largest ever devoted to archaeology. The antiquities it will house are priceless.
Despite an earlier opportunity for the public to visit its halls, a crucial part of the complex remained hidden from view: the Tutankhamun Gallery, which will contain previously unseen pieces from the young pharaoh's treasures, making it the crown jewel among the museum's departments.
A German studio called Atelier Brueckner designed key spaces in the museum, such as the atrium – which houses a statue of Ramses II that's over 11 meters high – and the stunning Grand Staircase. The Children's Museum, with 3,465 square meters of exhibition space, was also part of their commission.
They had to give security issues careful consideration. Every showcase had to be bullet proof, involving 40 milometer thick glass. And they were not allowed to touch the objects, only look at them, while they developed their ideas.
Asharq Al-Awsat was keen to speak to one of the people behind the Tutankhamun Gallery, which promises to be a wonder of the modern world. What could Tanya Zolner, associate partner of Atelier Brueckner and head of the design team, reveal about the gallery? And would it be possible to form a mental picture of the place before its unveiling?
The Visitor's Journey with the Golden Pharaoh
Zolner was clearly excited by the idea of discussing the project. She wanted to emphasize her team's approach: "Our work focused mostly on designing a storytelling experience related to the exhibits and a broader perspective on the story of ancient Egypt."
Obviously, she's immensely proud of the fact that the Atelier was chosen to design the new gallery, but it must have been a daunting responsibility, providing a new home for such beautiful and important pieces?
"I think the responsibility was twofold. On the one hand, we had to ensure the preservation, security, and safety of the exhibits so that people could enjoy them a hundred years from now. I also believe that our responsibility included providing an enjoyable experience for visitors," she said.
She added: "What I really liked was the museum director's conversation with us. He was keen to emphasize that the museum is for the Egyptian people and their 'guests', and that the display method must take this into account."
"He also wanted the artifacts to be shown in a new way. As you know, in international museums, such pieces are treated primarily as works of art [...] but without the necessary context. They may be separated [from each other], which removes them from their historical and thematic context. I think the choice fell on us because we care about telling the story behind the pieces," she explained.
Visiting Routes
The story in question, that of a young pharaoh's life, is almost unimaginably different from our lives today. How did her team go about reimagining the story of the Golden Pharaoh? Was chronology important to the museum's narrative?
"A visitor to the Tutankhamun Gallery has more than one way to begin their journey with the Golden Pharaoh," Zolner said.
With the museum expected to be visited by thousands of people every day – experts estimate 15,000 – the challenge was to create an intelligent visitor guidance system that organized the spaces and gave even the smallest objects a strong presence. In two parallel wings – each 180 meters long and 16 meters high – some 5,600 artifacts from the pharaoh's tomb are displayed, including nearly 3,000 pieces that have never been seen before.
The tour through the exhibition will offer a dramatic spatial journey through the god-king's life, coronation, death, and aftermath, climaxing with a full-scale immersive experience of the tomb itself. Here, lighting, materials, graphics, and interactive media will combine to create a breathtaking experience.
Clearly, the display here is unconventional. Is it entirely dependent on digital technology?
"There are some digital tools, but not many. The pieces here are beautiful in themselves. We are dealing with a lasting display, and technology has its weaknesses. But what really matters is how the pieces are arranged in the available spaces, and how the right piece is chosen for the right place," Zolner said.
She offered the example of a section about the afterlife. The huge number of items found in the tomb included thirty shoes, and also provisions, such as bread, poultry and other meats, along with utensils and wine jars. The beauty of these items is that they bear drawings and inscriptions related to them, such as a box depicting the pharaoh on a hunting trip, with spears, arrows, and the chariots used in hunting. All of these items become elements of the narrative.
Zolner talked about the museum's staff and the discussions they had about display methods: "There are great experts in the museum who spoke with us about the various aspects of the exhibition, such as the need to include a narrative of the pharaoh's lifestyle and of his death."
They met every month to discuss the proposed locations.
"One of the things that made our work easier was knowing from the start that all the items associated with Tutankhamun would be in the exhibition, so we weren't faced with a difficult choice between the pieces."
The Golden Mask
The phrase "all the items" implies a truly mind-boggling amount of stuff. Tutankhamun was buried with no less than 5,600 pieces. Zolner said that the process of preparing the display even revealed pieces that hadn't been accounted for. The number also changed slightly over time because some hadn't been removed from their boxes since they were found. Even the restoration team was sometimes surprised by the presence of a box hidden within another box.
"I believe visitors will also be in for a few surprises, considering that the treasures on display before now amounted to a third of the total discovered. When we had the opportunity to see the documentation detailing the pieces in full, we felt honored and humbled to be allowed to participate in telling the stories associated with them," Zolner said.
I conclude by asking: "What are the moments that stick in your memory? What are your favorite pieces?"
She replied without hesitation: "The golden mask, without a doubt! When we first visited Cairo, everyone was aware of the importance and uniqueness of the mask. I've never had a project where the curator said, before we started, 'unless we say otherwise, it's gold.' In other projects you might have a few golden things; here they're either gold or gold-plated."
