Grand Egyptian museum competition - Egypt - 2002 - Architecture

Preserving the monumental and mysterious character of the Pyramids, the project reveals a signal in relation to the sun of this Great Museum. The adopted layout follows two perpendicular axes: A north-south axis principally placed underground, leading directly from the entrance to the permanent museum. The second is an east-west axis that links all the internal and external functions of the complex. The permanent museum allows a visit organized by themes as well as by periods, and permits the passage from one route to the other. The routes by themes and periods follow a horizontal and vertical scheme. In order for the course to be linked it is curved inwards following a geometrical form ranging from a circle to all possible polygons. The choice of the shape of a pentagon appears to be the most adaptable form of the polygons due to its geometry and mystery. Geometrically, the pentagon conforms to the presentation of the permanent exhibitions with its five themes and nine periods and the architecture of the golden ratio, which forms the basis of the construction of the pyramids. The pentagon is mysterious as an architectural symbol that will house the rich Ancient Egyptian collection, in particular the Treasure of " Tutankhamoun". Access to the halls of the permanent exhibitions is reached by an underground route that directly links the entrance of the complex to the center of the museum. In this initiating course the visitors are the Nile to travel through the history of Ancient Egypt. The permanent exhibition areas of the pentagon are housed under a glass roof, dominated by an elevated structure that becomes the prominent component of the complex, in relation to the sun. This structure serves as a protector, captor and reflector. The additional functions are places within the dunes, and adhere by successive gradients of the levels and contour lines of the terrain.