Turin’s Museo Egizio is the world’s oldest museum for Ancient Egyptian culture and approaches its bicentenary in 2024. In Turin, during the “1824 – 2024: The Museo Egizio Towards the Bicentenary” press conference, OMA’s David Gianotten showcased the competition-winning design to renovate it. 

“The transformed Museo Egizio will be even more connected with the city and publicly accessible, complementing the museum’s ambition to foster public engagement,” Gianotten said.

OMA’s strategy to achieve this goal involves the creation of a new covered courtyard called Piazza Egizia – a double-height multifunctional square that showcases the museum’s original architecture and the traces of interventions over time – and six “urban rooms” – each characterized by different scales, functions, and qualities. A central “Spine” connects the rooms to each other and to the two entrances of the museum, on Via Accademia and Via Duse.

Additionally, new openings will be introduced on the current facade along Via Duse, further inviting entry into the museum. Piazza Egizia and the other urban rooms are accessible to the public beyond the museum’s opening hours, even for visitors without a ticket. Construction works will start in March 2024.