The construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum is an engineering miracle in itself, one that draws deeply from the spirit of ancient Egyptian civilization. We spoke with two of the builders of the GEM, George Kyrillos, Orascom Construction’s Project Director of the GEM, and Joris De Kinder, Project Director and Country Manager at BESIX. Together, Orascom Construction and BESIX (50%-owned by Orascom Construction) led the full construction of the museum, tackling everything from structural works and advanced MEP systems to creating climate-controlled environments for over 20,000 artefacts, a feat of engineering and coordination on a scale rarely seen.

EnterpriseAM: What were the biggest logistical or coordination challenges you encountered?

De Kinder: The building’s layout is extremely complex. It is not just a museum, but also a conference center, entrance court, library, children’s museum, 3D experience, ticketing building, and restaurants.

We had to manage multiple workfronts simultaneously with limited space, coordinating logistics and material supply to all areas. There was a batching plant on site, workshops for carpentry and steel, and we had to deliver everything on time.

The war in Ukraine and Covid disrupted supply chains. Many materials, especially MEP systems like chillers and coolers, came from abroad.

However, all the stones — over 200k sqm, equivalent to 40 football fields — were sourced locally from Aswan and Sinai, reducing the impact of disruptions. The stone was used for internal and external flooring and wall cladding.

EnterpriseAM: The museum’s geometry is famous for its complexity. How did that affect construction?

De Kinder: The architect aligned the building’s axes with the pyramid peaks and at an angle toward downtown Cairo. So, nothing is parallel or perpendicular — every stone, beam, and column is unique.

This required continuous surveying to ensure everything was positioned correctly. The non-repetitive geometry affected every phase — excavation, structure, finishing, and MEP.

The concept beautifully links ancient Giza to modern Cairo, but it made the project far more demanding. Even logistics were affected: if one package of stones was delayed, it couldn’t be replaced, since no two pieces were identical.

EnterpriseAM: From an engineering perspective, what unique construction methods did you use to execute the project?

De Kinder: This was the first project in Egypt to use Building Information Modeling (BIM) on such a large scale. It’s a 3D model we built to coordinate all technical systems and avoid clashes between pipes, conduits, cable trays, and openings, while ensuring enough height under the false ceiling. Given the building’s complexity, BIM was essential.

Kyrillos: At one point, 64 engineers were working only on BIM. It was revolutionary at the time. Today BIM is standard, but in 2012 it was truly special. And because of the museum’s size, we divided it into four sections, each with its own project manager. At the center is what’s now the Grand Stair — originally just a road for heavy equipment to access all four buildings. The museum was divided into two sections, and the conference building into two as well.

We also installed 16 tower cranes equipped with anti-collision systems to ensure safe operations. Each crane operated within a coordinated control system, monitored by engineers on screens to guarantee harmony on site.

EnterpriseAM: How did ancient Egyptian heritage influence the materials and design?

Kyrillos: The main raw materials — Aswan granite and Sinai travertine — are the same stones used in ancient Egypt. The design required their use for cladding and flooring to reflect the spirit of ancient architecture. Travertine was used for cladding and flooring, granite for flooring, and sometimes for cladding in bathrooms and restaurants.

EnterpriseAM: Did you also have to deal with ancient artifacts during the project?

Kyrillos: The closest was the obelisk. We received it in four pieces and assembled it into one, it’s now the world’s only suspended obelisk. Normally, an obelisk stands on the ground and connects to the heavens, but this one is suspended so visitors can see the king’s cartouche at its base.

De Kinder: Also transporting the Solar Boat — the world’s oldest wooden artifact, 4,500 years old — from the pyramids to GEM.

It was moved in a sealed, climate-controlled container to preserve the wood by controlling temperature and humidity before being installed in its new location. That was the closest we came to ancient Egypt itself.

EnterpriseAM: What other innovations or breakthroughs stand out to you?

De Kinder: One of the first techniques used in Africa was the double glass facade, supported by prestressed cables at the pyramid-end galleries, giving a stunning view of the Giza pyramids. We also used massive, prestressed concrete and cantilevers of over 26.5 meters, with ceilings reaching 33 meters to accommodate colossal statues.

The most challenging part was the folded roof — each pyramid-shaped form was unique in height, inclination, width, and length. It had to be cast in white concrete with patterned undersides, making every formwork completely custom.

Kyrillos: Each pyramid was different, so every formwork had to be fabricated specifically for one pyramid, dismantled, and remade for the next. Very sophisticated work.

EnterpriseAM: How extensive was international cooperation on the project?

Kyrillos: We had around 1k subcontractors and suppliers, including 315 subcontractors,  amongst which there were several international ones from Germany, Italy, Spain, England, and Turkey.

EnterpriseAM: Over thirteen years on site, what were some of the most memorable moments?

Kyrillos: One of the most unforgettable moments was the relocation of King Ramses II statue to its permenant location at the entrance court in the museum building in 2018 — it has been brought inside then we started building the museum around it. The roof span in this area is 100 meters with no columns. We lifted a huge steel truss above Ramses II and surrounded the statue with concrete blocks to protect it during construction.

The Solar Boat Museum followed the same sequence — the artifact was relocated first, then the structure was built around it.

EnterpriseAM: How was the museum engineered to last for generations? What sustainability or smart systems were built in?

Kyrillos: Normal buildings are usually built by using a concrete strength of 350kg/cm2, however, in this project we used a concrete strength of 500kg/cm2. To fulfill this aim, we used additives like fly ash to maintain durability. 

Further, one of the main items that are usually skipped in social media is the huge electromechanical works installed in GEM that cost around one third of the total cost of the project.

The project includes 45 electromechanical systems, which is very sophisticated, including a massive energy center located away from the museum and connected via tunnels. It houses the chillers, generators, fire pumps, water pumps, substations, and switchgears. It houses Chillers, Cooling Towers, Boilers, Generators, Fire Pumps, Water Pumps, Substations, and Switchgears, etc.

De Kinder: Our scope included everything except handling the artifacts themselves. Every showcase in the museum has its own microclimate control system, with defined humidity and temperature ranges.

All are linked to a central Building Management System (BMS) that monitors conditions in real time. If there’s a deviation — like a leak, a temperature shift, or even if someone touches a showcase — the system triggers an alarm for maintenance. It’s a sophisticated setup that ensures the artifacts are preserved under ideal conditions for generations.

EnterpriseAM: What’s one feature of the museum you would recommend visitors explore in detail?

Kyrillos: We also have to talk about the Pyramid Wall — one of the museum’s most iconic features. In the original design, it was a blind wall, which would have cost an enormous amount of money.

The Pyramid Wall, visible from the main road, is composed of three elements: the tail wall, the glazing facade, and the GA-wall — the main wall. Its total length is 800 meters, with height varying from 7.5 to 47.5 meters.

Each stone in the wall is unique, every piece had to be fabricated to specific dimensions to fit together perfectly. Inside the wall there are lighting fixtures and indirect illumination to create a spectacular nighttime effect.

And of course, there’s the Tutankhamun Gallery — one of the museum’s crown jewels. It holds around 5,500 artifacts. The gallery is divided into two bands (A and B) and five theme about King Tut, as follows:

  • Discovery;
  • His lifestyle;
  • His rebirth;
  • His funeral;
  • His identity.

This is the only gallery that remains to be unveiled with the official inauguration of the GEM on Nov 1.

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