Haley Sharpe created the artefact-led journey for Phase II of the Grand Egyptian Museum, providing interpretive planning and exhibition design for this monumental and globally significant project. Now open to the world, GEM will be enjoyed by millions of visitors every year.
Located in Giza, Egypt, GEM provides a stunning setting for the world’s largest archaeological displays. The 24,000 square meters of the museum include permanent exhibition galleries, a children’s museum, and a large conservation centre.
With over 40,000 diverse artefacts on display, the scale of GEM is unique. A considered design approach, and a fully integrated interpretive wayfinding strategy offer innovative solutions ensuring the best possible visitor experience.
Linking multi-sensory and immersive environments – Caves and Digital Streams – bring specific artefacts and collections to life. The larger-than-life media experiences create a dynamic pace and mood for visitors, enveloping them in a rich historical story.
As lead interpretive designers for the National Air and Space Museum’s ‘West Wing’ galleries, we worked with the Smithsonian team to craft larger-than-life experiences exhibiting momentous stories on everything from early flight to the moon landing.
Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the National Air and Space Museum, which preserves, and display’s the world’s largest collection of aviation and space artefacts is one of the most popular museums in the world.
Working with Smithsonian project leaders, curators, learning and collections teams, we undertook exhibition and interpretive, media, and technical design to create environments that provide audiences with unique and transformative experiences.
Working with NASM content specialists, we created comprehensive media briefs to inform design and development by our media software partners and oversaw media delivery to ensure a consistent curatorial, interpretive, and design vision. These pieces not only amaze visitors but help unpack complex concepts and stories.
Leading a dynamic team of project partners and co-creators, Haley Sharpe is delivering a renewed experience at Niagara Falls State Park, the oldest state park in the United States. Once complete, a new 29,000 square-foot welcome centre with co-created exhibits and landscape interpretation will transform the gateway to the falls.
For thousands of years, Niagara Falls has been home to the Tuscarora and Seneca Nations, and later, a destination for explorers, honeymooners, and even daredevils. Beyond great beauty and remarkable power, the enduring significance of the falls is rooted in legacies of conservation, the Underground Railroad, and the continued stewardship of Indigenous communities.
From early architectural planning to detailed design and delivery of the project, we worked closely with diverse community partners and knowledge keepers through a co-creative process to reimagine and reorient the visitor experience at the park. From the beginning of the content development process, we knew that we needed to engage closely with Indigenous communities – who are the original gatekeepers of the falls – as well as other local communities to tell the “whole history” of this landscape.
Together, we have imagined, created, and will realize a holistic experience that not only emphasizes and connects visitors to the amazing falls landscape but also reveals the complex stories that surround and define this spectacular world wonder.
