EditorSWANSEA: Egypt Centre reopens after major revamp — with staff names written in hieroglyphs on the ceiling
The museum, based on the university’s Singleton Park campus, closed its doors six months ago to undergo the renovation. Visitors returning to the House of Death gallery — home to some of the centre’s most celebrated ancient Egyptian artefacts — will find a transformed space with immersive tomb scenes painted along the walls, new information panels, modernised display cases and a series of discovery drawers giving visitors closer access to the collection than ever before.
Around 650 objects are now on display in the gallery, including 250 in the new drawers, which allow visitors to uncover items from the collection at close range.
Curator Dr Ken Griffin oversaw the entire project, including the painstaking task of arranging the display of each object. He said the refurbishment was driven by a desire to deepen the connection between the museum and its community.
“Looking up at the ceiling — where the names of our staff, volunteers, and even pets are inscribed in hieroglyphs — reminds us that while this gallery explores the ancient past, it is a living space built for the future of our community,” Dr Griffin said.
The transformed House of Death gallery at the Egypt Centre, Swansea University, featuring the striking new vaulted ceiling inscribed with names in hieroglyphs. Image credit: Swansea University / Egypt CentreThe vaulted ceiling is the centrepiece of the revamped gallery. Alongside the staff and volunteer names, a separate section is dedicated to members of the public who helped support the refurbishment financially.
Dr Griffin added: “We are thrilled to be able to welcome the public and local schools back. The new layout, with its vibrant tomb scenes and clever discovery drawers, allows us to showcase more of our collection than ever before. Thanks to the generous support of the Welsh Government’s Cultural Transformation Capital Grant Programme, the Wolfson Foundation, and the Garfield Weston Foundation, we have transformed the space from a gallery into a truly immersive journey.”
Dr Ken Griffin, curator of the Egypt Centre at Swansea University, in the newly refurbished House of Death gallery. Image credit: Swansea University / Egypt CentreThe refurbishment has been designed with school visits in mind, with the new layout aligned to the curriculum and the tactile discovery drawers offering a hands-on learning experience for younger visitors.
Dulcie Engel, who has volunteered at the centre for almost 12 years, was among the first to see the new gallery. “The first impression is one of spaciousness,” she said. “The lighting in the cases and new labels are truly visitor friendly. And I love the ceiling of night stars and cartouches, which includes my name!”
She added: “The murals of tomb paintings set the scene as soon as the doors open. I think everybody will be blown away by this transformation.”
The Egypt Centre is one of the leading Egyptology museums in the UK, holding a collection of around 6,000 objects spanning thousands of years of ancient Egyptian history. It is free to visit and open to the public on the Singleton Park campus.
Further information is available at egypt.swansea.ac.uk.
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