Figure 17 Aerial View of Aten Cultural Park's Land Lot

REVITILIZING THE HISTORICAL ESSENCE OF THE GEM AREA THROUGH LITERARY ARCHITECTURE NOHA HATEM MOSTAFA experience through its spaces. In order to choose the right keywords, the context will be studied thoroughly; in terms of urban fabric, history, heritage, culture and typology.

The interpretation of the chosen keywords will not only have an effect on the external form, but through all aspects of architectural design; elevation treatments, internal and external spaces, colour palettes and interior design choices, …etc.

4. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

According to Egyptian mythology, “Seshat” is the goddess of the written word, the deity responsible for inventing writing, keeping records and is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge. The biproduct of incorporating the mythology surrounding writing with the previously studied theories of turning words into architecture in section (2) of the thesis is “Seshat Bibliotheca”. It translates into “Library of the written word”. (Mark, 2019) The symbolism in naming the project is to emphasize the aim of narrating history, culture and heritage of Egypt through turning their descriptive wordsinto architectural elements and expressive forms. The interpretation of Egypt’s heritage within the walls of Seshat is approached through using modernized representations of Pharaonic architectural elements and by giving the user this history through a story narrated by the spatial configuration and overall experience of the project.

The direct context surrounding Seshat is considered a major asset in order to achieve its historical and cultural objective in alleviating the iconic essence of the GEM area. It is located in Aten Cultural Park which has a direct view of the Pyramid. The Park acts as miniature representation of the GEM area where it encloses a catalyst of three circular platforms representing the Pyramids that are surrounded by contrasting elements of five different typologies which represent the urban fabric of the area. Bahiti Business and Retail Centre, Ma’at Youth and Social Justice Centre, Lotus Recreational Centre and Wellness Centre sit alongside Bibliotheca Seshat to transcend the deterioration of social and cultural aspects in the area. Therefore, the full experience of Seshat is amplified by the services of the surrounding direct context.

The Bibliotheca recreates the history of Egypt by dividing the space into three main elements; a library, a cultural centre and an underground piazza. As much as the three elements might seem primitive to create a unique experience yet by incorporating the history with the architecture, it gives a narration that is seen as much as felt within its walls. The complex has two underground levels that are veiled by the piazza, the library takes three levels and the cultural centre takes two. The library takes up the greatest number of floors in order to dominate the land lot with the knowledge and history it gives. It introducesnew technologies in order to facilitate the conveying of knowledge through a virtual museum and a digital library. It also incorporates workshops, educational facilities and recreational ones.

The following section studies the context in depth in order to make optimum use of the site’s assets while designing Bibliotheca Seshat.

4.1. Context Overview

The overall site enclosing Bibliotheca Seshat as it appears in figure (17) within Aten Cultural Park is directly affected by The Pyramid Plateau and the newly constructed GEM. It varies in urban treatments varying between formal and informal residential areas. The context is analysed according to the services present near the land lot and by studying the factors directly affecting the land lot of the Bibliotheca in regards to accessibility, environmental characteristics and nearby services.