Structure studios OMA and Andrea Tabocchini Structure have remodelled the Gallery of the Kings on the Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy, to “reconnect the old Egyptian statues to their authentic context”.
The gallery holds plenty of monumental statues from the old Egyptian metropolis of Thebes, the positioning of which is now in Luxor.
OMA‘s renovation, carried out in collaboration with Andrea Tabocchini Structure, changed a 2006 rework by set designer Dante Ferretti, which was meant to be momentary however was stored till now.
In distinction to Ferretti’s design, which OMA described as a “black field”, the studio wished to create a transition from darkness to airy.
To take action, it designed a murky entryway from which guests are moved into two glowing halls the place the statues are displayed.
“OMA’s design for the Gallery of the Kings reconnects the old Egyptian statues to their authentic context in Thebes, fairly than showcasing them as mere protagonists of a recent spectacle,” the studio stated.
Led by architects David Gianotten and Andreas Karavanas, OMA uncovered the unique structure of the area, which dates again to the seventeenth century, to disclose its excessive home windows and partitions. The partitions have been then clad in aluminium, which the studio stated lends the area an “ethereal high quality”.
The aluminium partitions mirror the airy coming in via the clerestory home windows, whereas additionally displaying historic details about the statues.
The primary exhibition corridor was designed to resemble the outer areas of the Karnak temple elaborate in Thebe, with two sphinxes taking centre stage, surrounded by statues of the goddess Sekhmet.
A statue of the Egyptian pharaoh Seti II stands on the finish of the corridor. The second gallery was designed to emulate the interior areas of the temple and homes statues of kings and gods.
“The chance to design the Gallery of the Kings compelled us to discover how the up to date museum expertise and the historic context of artifacts can coexist via structure,” Gianotten stated.
“It has been an honor to work with the museum’s extremely skilled and devoted crew on this venture. We sit up for seeing how native and worldwide guests interact with this invaluable assortment in novel methods.”
The rework is a part of a wider OMA-led renovation of the Museo Egizio, which will even embody a novel coated courtyard and a collection of interconnected public rooms.
By uncovering the home windows within the Gallery of the Kings, OMA has allowed the Egyptian statues to be seen by passersby from the close by Through Principe Amedeo.
Different current tasks by OMA embody an “anti-iconic” bridge in France and a derelict bakery that was became an artwork area in Detroit.
