Originally built in 1915 as the home of Egyptian politician and art collector Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil, the 1,400-sq-meter building debuted as a museum in 1962 but was closed in 2010 after a Vincent Van Gogh painting was cut from its frame and stolen. Updating the building’s security system was a key focus of a major renovation, with the Cairo museum’s rare collection also including works by Paul Gaugin, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet and more than 100 other artists. The project team, led by Cairo-based The Arab Contractors, completed construction in April 2021, enabling the museum to reopen for the first time since its closure. 

Renovation work included installing new camera systems and other higher-level security systems, according to the project team. The project scope also included increasing the building’s overall efficiency by adding new systems for air conditioning and ventilation, firefighting, lighting and smart CCTV systems.