Louvre - Salles égyptiennes

The museum and collection

The Louvre houses one of the world's most important collections of ancient Egyptian art. Several galleries located in La cour carré had to be equipped with cases for the thousands of artefacts. A variety of cases needed to be manufactured, including freestanding display cases, recessed wall cases, standing wall cases, and a number of custom designed cases.

The assignment

Tenderers were asked to present scale models of the showcases along with their tender, after which price and quality were taken into account. We came out as the winners and were awarded the project.

The solution that we came up with for the complex construction of the solid steel bottom was one the key reasons for the jury's choice. The technical performance and high quality of the prototype with its newly engineered hinge mechanism and discrete profiles, were equally convincing.

The project: challenges & result

The particular shape of the steel base of the cases required a careful sequence of folding and welding. No visible welds were allowed on the heavy 4 mm thick sheet metal, as the construction required lacquering in a discrete Pantone finish. The bases were equipped with flaps for technical access. 40 mm thick internal display panels were  cast in mass colored concrete. The main challenge for on-site handling was moving the heavy plinths in the sometimes very small gallery rooms. 

The lighting was also of a particular design. Many of our cases had glass tops and required flexible and movable lighting, for which we constructed metal boxes. These emit both diffused light and spotlight, and are dimmable. Our efforts helped bring to life an impressive exhibition that masses of visitors can now admire in the right atmosphere.