The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is currently one of the largest museum development projects in the world. Given the global interest in the pharaonic history, Egypt and in Particular the resident of Cairo are eagerly anticipating the arrival of this new cultural destination.
In February 2002, the Foundation Stone of the Grand Egyptian Museum was laid, (GEM); thus announcing to the world that Egypt is committed to build a significant cultural monumental building, and sending a global message that the Egyptian Civilization will always be a source of enlightenment to the whole world.
In 2002, It was announced the launching of an International Architectural Competition to design the largest Museum of Egyptology in the world, on a site neighboring the timeless Pyramids of Giza. The international competition was carried out under the patronage of UNESCO, and under the supervision of the International Union of Architects (UIA). With unanimous agreement and conviction, the entire Jury members awarded the First Prize to the design created by the Architectural Firm of Heneghan /Peng from Ireland, which was announced in an official press conference held in July 2003.
The implementation of the GEM project started in May 2005 and included three main phases. The Construction consists of the following main elements: Museum and Conference center (Main Building); elements of the Menkaurus Retaining Wall and other retaining structures; auxiliary buildings including restaurants ; car and coach parking; exhibition works and an extensive External Works package.
The area of the land is 470.974 m2 which is divided into main Museum and Conference Center Building with area 133.282 m2, Auxiliary Buildings have an area of 34.014 m2 and the Landscaping area is 303.678 m2.
The design of the museum was undertaken by architects of international stature. It was an open invitation to architects and consultants from around the world to engage in a challenging act of creative design that stipulated a unique architecture for the long anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum. Neighboring a timeless wonder, the Giza Pyramids, the new museum is to pay homage to eternal Ancient Egyptian monuments, treasures, and history. A strong visual linkage between the new museum site and the pyramids themselves suggested architectural choices that would not waste the possibility of establishing a kind of formal dialogue.
The design project aims to establish a state-of-the-art museum complex providing facilities and access to a broad range of information. The museum complex furnishes all its visitors with a uniquely enjoyable, educational and cultural experience. Architects were challenged to design a new museum spacious enough to accommodate the vast collections and allow visitors to 'navigate' along the many routes potentially offered by a modern museum. An evocative thematic and cultural sensitive approach to display would be necessarily put within the context of the exhibited artifacts.