The Great Egyptian Museum, Cairo (2002) — Pantelis Nicolacopoulos Architects

The Great Egyptian Museum, Cairo

International Competition, 2002 (Colab. Prof. Renate Oelhaf, Dr. Mike Schlaich)

The Great Egyptian Museum is intended to read as a clear geometric form. The building consists of three long rectilinear volumes, placed according to the coordinate system of the x, y, z axes. The geometry of the building refers to the origin of Egyptian culture and science, as the measurement system was a profound element of them.

The building establishes a complex three-part relationship to gravity, avoiding conflict or resemblance to the sublime monolithic weight of the pyramids: the lower volume which runs parallel to the contour lines of the site is directly related to the ground and partially dug into it. The upper volume is raised above the ground in a perpendicular direction to the contour lines and appears to float above the lower volume. The vertical volume, the tower, completes the set of relations of this Cartesian system. The natural ground on the site, beyond the footprint of the lower volume, is left untouched.