Museum of the Ancient Nile

DOWN THE RIVER BED

"Egypt was the gift of the Nile" - Herodotus

Midway between Luxor and Aswan, the Museum of the Ancient Nile aims to submerge visitors in the essence of the commonly regarded longest river in the world.

In order to comprehend how Egyptian civilization proliferated, we must go deeper than water's level, and dive into the history, mythology and monuments that the region contains. Then we quickly understand how crucial the Nile was in the development of Egyptian civilization, due to its deposits of annual overflow.

The guiding line of the project is the idea of the geological carrot, including successive layers such as feluca's white sails and wooden deck, water, and finally the river bed, source of wealth, prosperity and political stability for the country.

The museum is integrated to an unusual geological formation along the Nile : pointed out by a marabou on its top, acting as a signal, the mountain falls without transition into the water.
As seen from the water's level, the museum is at first only visible by its sails, announcing a generous public space. Horizontality is enhanced by a rythmed facade, reminiscent of the Egyptian temple complexes.

Inspired by the same principle, the project consists of two blocks carved from the rock, allowing visitors to go down in a fault, as if they were in the river bed itself, emptied from its volume.

Physical perceptions and sky relations are modified and feature new spaces, playing with opening and closing and animated by gateways of different height.

LABADIE Lisa
THUNIS Caroline