Goppion General Manager Patrizia Venturini reflects on the company’s seven-year collaboration with the Grand Egyptian Museum, one of the most ambitious cultural initiatives of the 21st century. In this interview, published by Il Giornale dell'Arte in July, 2025, she discusses the challenges of creating the custom display cases, the technical solutions developed for fragile materials, and the values that continue to shape Goppion’s approach to museum design.
Read the full English translation of the interview below.
Tutankhamun’s Fan Under Glass
Like a bespoke tailored garment, building a museum showcase requires knowledge, precision, and great attention to detail. Patrizia Venturini tells us how the collaboration with the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) came about. For the project, the Lombard company produced more than 150 “intelligent” and custom-made display cases, using ultra-clear, airtight, and nearly invisible glass.
by Laura Giuliani
Trezzano sul Naviglio (MI). Thanks to its technologically advanced and aesthetically flawless display cases, Goppion has become a global reference point in the museum installation sector over its 70+ years of activity—always guided by three core values: conservation, legibility, and space. Its showcases protect the British Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, and the British Galleries at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Overseas, Goppion has worked with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston since 2009 and with the Metropolitan Museum in New York, where a new wing was recently inaugurated.
A mix of engineering, advanced technology, precision, passion, and attention to detail has allowed the company to position itself on the international market—where it generates about 90% of its revenue—and to open branches in Boston, Washington, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. It also secured the colossal and prestigious Grand Egyptian Museum project, supplying more than 150 display cases of various shapes and sizes to house an enormous range and quantity of artifacts.
We spoke with Patrizia Venturini, general manager of the company headquartered in Trezzano sul Naviglio, just outside Milan, who oversaw every phase of the project.
Let’s start with the basics: when and how was the company founded?
Goppion was founded in 1952, in the postwar period, by my husband’s father. After seven years as a prisoner of war in Africa and amidst Italy’s postwar economic boom, Nino Goppion invented a new profession, producing thousands of transparent showcases to display sweets. When my husband Sandro, who has a passion for history and philosophy, joined the company, he sought something more intellectually stimulating and aligned with his interests—so he began creating museum showcases. Thanks to his encounters with visionary figures at the ICR and OPD, we began studying the best ways to preserve objects more than 30 years ago. Over time, we refined our techniques and expertise, producing aesthetically flawless showcases that are both transparent and technically advanced—capable of protecting artifacts while also enhancing their visibility.
When did you begin working with the Grand Egyptian Museum?
We began in 2017 after winning an international tender. To be selected, we had to pass a highly rigorous pre-qualification process, where companies were assessed not only on previous experience and technical skills but also on organizational stability. After passing various tests, we were admitted to a shortlist and invited to meet in person with the generals in charge of the project and the technical commission. The work lasted a total of seven years.
What did the project entail?
It was akin to haute couture—demanding precision and care for every detail, along with a great capacity to listen to the client’s needs. The cases and their interiors had to be designed to accommodate everything from tiny artifacts to monumental objects. Installation on-site by our technicians was preceded by mock-ups and testing in our labs, where we fine-tuned the lighting and verified each individual showcase.
A nearly pharaonic assignment…
Indeed. It took a lot of time due to the sheer number of showcases, each one unique in shape and size. Some were enormous, like the ones designed for the five golden chariots used by the young Tutankhamun for hunting or ceremonial appearances in full pharaonic splendor.
What are the features of a museum showcase, and what is its lifespan?
Given the wide variety of objects and materials to preserve—some extremely fragile, like those in the GEM—we created ultra-sealed display cases using anti-reflective, ultra-transparent glass that’s virtually invisible. Lighting is LED-based with adjustable intensity depending on the object and the desired effect. Like in a theater, light plays a central role in the presentation. Each case maintains a controlled microclimate, with passive regulation of relative humidity. Highly advanced control units monitor even the slightest environmental changes. A display case typically has a lifespan of 25–30 years.
What’s the most fragile object you’ve worked with?
A truly special piece: the ceremonial fan of Tutankhamun, made of ostrich feathers and an ivory handle—materials that are incredibly delicate and difficult to preserve. For this fan, we built a “case within a case,” where nitrogen is introduced to eliminate oxygen completely.
What was it like working closely with the Egyptian team?
It was a unique and wonderful experience. There was great synergy with the project leaders—a joint venture between the Belgian construction company Besix and the Egyptian firm Orascom. And I must add: never before had we worked on a construction site with a view of the pyramids!
Any critical moments?
The COVID-19 period was certainly challenging, but we managed the emergency effectively thanks to everyone’s cooperation.
What project are you working on now?
In Oslo, we’re working on the spectacular new Museum of the Viking Age, scheduled to open in 2027. It will house the ships and collections from the former Viking Ship Museum, which has now permanently closed.
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