The Office for Metropolitan Architecture — OMA studio will build the new entrance to the world’s second largest Egyptian museum by 2024, with a new transparent roof.

OMA finally lands in Turin and with the new Egyptian Square takes home the competition for the world’s second Egyptian museum. The Dutch firm came out on top over the designer-driven proposals of groups led by Kengo Kuma, Pininfarina Architetture, CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati (which proposed one of the most beautiful roofs designed with Burohappold) and Snohetta. Winners are also all members of the grouping. They are designers Guendalina Salimei, Andrea Tabocchini, Odine Manfroni, and Saverio Andreani and consultants Carolina De Camillis, Andrea Longhi, and Laura Romagnoli.

The arrival in Turin of another Pritzker Prize

The Dutch victory also marks the firm’s first Rem Koolhaas Pritzker Prize project in the Savoy capital, which is experiencing a new (and hopefully fervent) season of competitions and projects.

The competition, run through Concorrimi of the Milan Order of Architects, was in fact held in parallel with the one launched for the future of the former Cavallerizza Reale. Also promoted through the same platform, it brought to the city some of the most important names on the international architectural scene, including Pritzker laureates Lacaton & Vassal. The success and level of participation once again confirm the effectiveness of the monument + competition pairing, also from a media point of view.

Egyptian Museum of Turin: 50 mln euros to double in Turin big names for Cavallerizza Reale and Egyptian Museum

OMA’s Egyptian Square.

The winning proposal addresses the competition theme by completely overhauling the entire entrance to the museum, making the central courtyard an integral part of its spaces. The call for bids was to expand and renovate the inner courtyard of the baroque Collegio dei Nobili, resulting in the reorganization of the Museum’s entrance spaces. The time horizon for the completion of the work is 2024, the year in which it celebrates its bicentennial: The Egyptian Museum of Turin was in fact established in 1824, the oldest in the world dedicated entirely to Egyptian culture.

The project intervenes by radically altering the entry point, which had already been revised by the two-phase design by Turin-based Isolarchitects. Covering the central courtyard of the severe block shared with the Academy of Sciences leads the project to open the pavement with a new access point.

The new functional program places on the gained ground floor the usual main entrance, from Via Accademia delle Scienze, and a secondary one. The ticket office with checkroom, infopoint, cafeteria, and bookshop flank the Temple of Ellesija, which came to Turin in 1967, and spaces for temporary exhibitions in the vicinity of the access point. Working on two interconnected levels that ‘pierce’ the pavement of the courtyard, he creates a covered green area, the new Egyptian Garden, and a monumental staircase leading to the underground level. Here he starts the museum tour, also positions service and storage spaces, an event/auditorium hall, educational rooms and an immersive exhibition hall.

Text by: Cristiana Chiorino, To(ur)arch