Regeneration of elephantine Island. (Aswan,Egypt)
As an Equilibrium Between Heritage,Ecology, and Present Society
Master Thesis Project 2022
e analysis
Island Analysis
The Island Acts as a shadow layer
The research question was how to regenerate The Elephantine island Urban Dynamics ,as in the research, the findings and reflections on the site analysis and visit showed a number of potentials that are either ignored or disputed upon through the Islands components. As a result of each of the components dealing with the islands limited area and potentials, the conclusion of the Island analysis is that the island act as a proxy and indirect aspect in each of the components interactions togather.
Mainly being in locked area of the island ,and its position in a dead en to the City of Aswan Tourestic and daily circulation.
Chapter 1
analysing the context of each component
concluded in component dealing with the
Occidential Effect (Urban Stagnation)
Urban dynamics Reflections
After adding the Agenda of Orientalism by Edward said , which criticise the reading of a cultural heritage through an external epistemology in which he named it as The Occident ,the Marginalization of the village was noted in the thesis context as the Occidential effect
The Villages (Margenalized)
In the reflection each component showed its own Urban vision and dynamic, causing the total dissconection (the stagnation) and coming on the expense of the Village component in particiuler. causing limitation for any urban expansion and therefore dilapitation in the villages
Secluded Margenalized
Secured
The archeological site (Secured)
For the case of the Archeological site , the Guidlines of the Occidential effect puts a whole narrative of site interpretation out of order ,a case mentioned Generaly and not inclusevily for the site, in the Nara Convention in Preamble number 4
Movenpick Green Agenda (Seclusion)
In the case of the hotel of movenpick the Adabted Urban Vision of its own called by the hotels website as the Green Agenda ,caused it to be completly secluded and self sufficient on the expense of colleteral damage on the villages
Looking at the archeological site From the lense of Nara’s guidelines ,and revising the elephantine descriptions by the DAI (German Archeological institiute), can produce three narratives that can form an interactions between the Villages and the Archeological site
Such an initiative would need a Plea to form a Policy between the village and the Archeological institute and the Archeological site stakeholders,asthe narratives can extend to pending Archeological projects on the island ,as well as addition of exhibatory reliefs on the elephantine site
The diagram shows the change in site mangmant plan in the Case of Nara is application
The colletral damage caused by the hotel on the Villages Could have been avoided or countered by Unifying the water Circulation that the Hotel have through the its Green Agenda , and the primitive water circuit that the villages had in which still depends on Cisterns and monthely diffuse
Such an initiative would need a Plea from the Village against the hotel and social bond between the two components to be formed ,an act that the Association of community development on the island acts passivly in its regards even though they have the funding plea ability
The argument wont be only for the Village but as well a protection for any possibilty for a submerged Monuments on the island underthe villages
The Definition of the Disputes into 6 points as a conclusion of each Urban Vision and each its Agencies
The Master Thesis Theoratical Framework
The Hypothesis was to form an external layer out of the intersections of the Components ,and using it as a common ground to subvert the disputes on the islands to be Connections therefore solving the stagnation ,
The hypothesis (In the theoratical frame work of the thesis) is that in a historic district, Forming a Common Ground between the intrinsic values of Its component’s dynamics, will by default form an extra layer ,which will be the Equilibrium Catalyst that each component can integrate within. and result in gaining Urban Reliance
In the thesis context and dealing with the occidential effect
The aim was declared to be forming urban reslience for the island ,by the unified Urban vision
the strategy is subverting the disputes into common grounds.
The approach was acheive this through the indiginous sources of the nubian peoples living in the island and the reigon
and at last The objectives lead to unify the urban vision of the island’s components in dealing with the shadow layers (the islands limitations of Area and potentials)
Initiating the Approach through The Nubian and orientalists approaches on documenting the Nubian Resettlment and its documentations, in relation with the Egyption and Nubian Lenses,through 4 mediums in which the Nubian documented their heritage
*Language *Story telling Nubian Awakening movment
*Musics and Lyrics
*Maltierialty Charchter in Space forming
followed by adding the resulted discourse as the urban identity layer in the components of the island in steps
I.
III.
II.
IV.
Adding the Discourse resultred in the possibility to counter the margenalization of the villages and Addeing them as a new Agency in the Island Components and equalizing the stagnation on the island and initiating the strategy of subverting the Disputes into negotiation common grounds through the Discourse of the urban identity
The Application of the Discourse on the site is concluded in adding the two catalysts controling the Southern village (Kotti) With the archeological site , and the nothern village (Seju) with the Hotel of movenpick.
the catalyst are the typology concluded from the nubian research iwhich is called the madyafa
The tekia of madyafat kotti (the community restaurant by the people
Master Plan 1:10,000
The public spaces de ntion and utilization (Adding in the Vortecies,Phase 1)
Southern madyafa of Kotti (urban identity and civic empowerment Catalyst)
Subverting
-the heritage discourse
-the Pending projects of the roman staircase
-the Decision making in regards of the villages
Master Plan 1:10,000
The public spaces de ntion and utilization (Adding the Madayif in the Vortecies,Phase 1)
The tekia of madyafat kotti
The communal Restaurant (Utilizingthe shouna resources and facing the hotel kus-
(Adding the Madayif
Nothern Madyafa of Seju (urban identity andVernaculer tourism enhancment)
Subverting
-the Green Agenda Dispute and damage
-The Vernaculer tourism potential of the hostels
-the Greenery limitation of areas and limited profit
The Decision maker Stoa
The Madyafa of Kotti alternative decision maker disscusion between the inhabitants, For the sake of the debate, first Disscusionis upon handeling the dilapitated buildings in the villages
Master Plan 1:10,000
Complemntry functions of the madyaif
Dilapitated buildings Public areas de ned
Master Plan 1:10,000 Complemntry functions of the madyaif
The Shouna and The Market
The Madyafa of Seju had contributedby a shouna(Communal grannery to initiate the usage of the green area as an urban forest, for the inhabitants to be used and sold in the open weekly market of the madyafa itself, instead of each indivivdual land owner renting his/her land production for external sellers.
Green Area Repurposed into urban forest
Greenery boreders Using the communal Shouna
The Discoursefunctions Targeted the negotiations through enhancing Discourse of the Urban Identity
Animalia Extention
Master Plan 1:10,000
Special functions of the madyaif
The Madyafa of Kotti Initiating the discourse through extending a private museum on the island Called Animalia that exhibits the prespective of thenubian heritage from a nubian lense,to initiate a discourse with the project of realities of lives of the Archeological site through the DAI and Forming a disscusion around the pending archeological projects on the island.
Animalia Extention in Madyafat Hostels of Seju and Kotti Realities of life project Extention Center of discourse
Master Plan 1:10,000
Special functions of the madyaif
The events hall
The Madyafa of Seju had contributedby an open area for festivities, controlled by the hostels on the island under the mangment of the oldest one ,as a counter for the area limitiation of island that prevents the hostels from doing so ,in events its controlledby the hostel and in weekly bases act as an extention of the market
Animalia museum Madyafat kotti
Hostels common open space in madyafat seju Primerly managed by the oldest Hostel on the island “BABADool”
The madayef Acted as a catalyst for the Urban Regeneration of the urban identity and since its originated as a Nubian typology of resistance and charechter preservation , the Approach was achieved.
Phase 1
The formation of the system of social bonds and common grounds between the island componants, showed the possibilty of equalibrium formed between the components under one urban vision.
Therfore, the urban resliance of the island from any external occidential effect is secured,as the island is self sustaining through its newly formed urban identity credits and agency.
Phase 2
As a result formthe system The Disputes in regard the pending project of the roman staircase can be aproached for restoration.
As a result form the system The limitation of the Greenery can be approached as asubvertion of the limitiation into a profitable communal potential.
Master Plan 1:10,000
Pahse 3
At the end of the project if the Social bonds are achieved a Furthur kleidscope of Potential ideas could is established as each bond in itself is aiming to an aspect on the island whether socital, heritage, economical, enviromental, conventional, and domestic.
In the Thesis context the chosen furthur step was chosen to be neutral and abide with one problem that was only deduced by the Inhabitabts through interviews
Bundle 1 Nile Relief Phase 1: Madayef Ferry Route Restored Roman Staircase Conventional Port Logistic Port Phase 3: skyline occupation tenative Bundle 3 Conclusion b 26a 28 28a 28b 28c
Water recycling Stations
Water Cycle Uni cation
Through using the Islands position on the First cataract, combined with the tenative of the migratory bird route on aswan.
The last addition is adding a bird feeders station to occupy the skyline along with the Hotel tower, as a Artistic stance against its Visual Dominance. (Marked by the Elephantine Inhabitants as a Setback)
