Exhibition Design — Osiris Exhibition Rietberg

The sunken secret of Egypt

The ‘Osiris’ exhibition at Museum Rietberg displays the impressive treasures discovered by French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio in the sea off the coast of Egypt. The finds include the colossal statues up to 5.4 metres tall, which due to their size are displayed in the courtyard at the entrance to the museum. The three violet-illuminated pavilions protect the statues. The design was a challenge: as light as possible, heated and dimensionally stable. There was not much time to encase the statues in the prefabricated shells consisting of a steel frame with polycarbonate panels on three sides and security glass at the front. The colour provides a point of contrast to the emerald-coloured glass façade of the museum.