Contemporary Architectural Identity in Cairo: and the lack thereof

Ibrahim Hany

and the lack thereof.

The Other Maps of Cairo

Contemporary Architectural identity in cairo:

New Cairo: Major Development in the Eastern Cairo Desert.

Red: Foucs zone

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

New Cairo Map

2

Topic Definition

The Formation of Gated Communities 3

Ownership: who drives Real Estate?

4

Naming Patterns

5

Architecture and Ornamentation Origins

The Selling Process 6

Advertisement Strategies

Further Reflections 8

Implications: Redundancy of Architectural Profession

7

Implications: Social Segregation

References

Case Study: Over 45 Gated communities packed in 2 adjacent zones North 90 Road.

TOPIC This mapping aims to make the statement that almost all new developements in the deserts of Cairo in the last 20 years have lacked their own identity, innovation and contextual sensibility.

This is an abstract mapping that sheds the light on the formation process of Gated Communities in New Cairo, which represents the biggest organized Real Estate development effort in the city’s expansion.

Focus is placed on the advertisment and Architectural morphology.

Finally, this project briefly questions how this pattern of development with its architectural and social model associated affects how the city is planned.

Significance Perhaps this statement can invoke thought between architects and designers, who have been pressured to embrace consumerism, that the adoption of ‘contemporary architecture’ is not the solution to the problem.

The production of standarized configurations of built communities that simply mirror a certain visiual identity that is somehow taken to resemble modernity, westernization and development.

The way in which most of new Gated Communities are named, designed, advertized and visualized aims to bring to existence an unrealistic imported lifestyle that doesn’t belong in the deserts of Cairo.

Urbanism in Cairo is a challenge that requires intelligent solutions that could enrich the cultural identity of a place and take into account the contextual elements and communities involved.

The Formation of Gated Communities

This is representation of a sample of the Real estate Gurus that own gated communities around New Cairo specifially and Cairo generally. They are mostly Egyptian developers in origin and mostly own a couple of estates around Cairo.

Individual Compounds shown in alternating colors to show how they are clustered.

OWNERSHIP: WHO DRIVES REAL ESTATE?

Al Safwa construcion compay

The Formation of Gated Communities

Adera Al Safwa Bellagio Concordia 1 Dyar Dyar Park Eastown Cairo El Haya El Patio 1 El Patio 2 Emerald Family City Flowers Park Gardenia Springs Gasa Verdi Golden Heights Hayat Heights Hayati Residence Katameya Hieghts Katameya Plaza Park View Katameya Plaza Katameya Residence La Quinta Leila Madinaty Maxim Country Mirage City Mividia Mountain View 1 Rehab City Remas Seasons Serena Heights Stella Sun City Gardens Swan Lake Villino Water walk Waterway Yasmeen Zahret el Tagamoa Zizinia Gardens Zizinia Rose ‫نيراشتسملا‬ ‫نييفحصلا ةنيدم‬ Regents Park

NAMING PATTERNS These are 4 examples of the most recurring naming patterns.

The Percentage within each of the circles is caculated to show how often pattern was used according to a sample of 48 gated compounds in new Cairo.

Vivid Nature

23%

Foriegn Names

39%

Heights

10%

This word diagrams includes all the names of the gated communities in this sample.

The size of the word indicates how often the word was used; the bigger, the more.

Independence

21%

The Formation of Gated Communities

ARCHITECTURE AND ORNAMENTATION ORIGINS

These are 3 examples of the most recurring patterns of Architcture in New Cairo

1. Spanish Architecture / Spanish Revival Movement This architectural style is reminiscent of that in Santa Barbara, Sourthern California which was originally inspired by a unique blend of Spanish and Mediterranean design. It encompases large arches, generously spacious entrances, Thick-walled buildings, arched arcades and wide courtyards favored by early Spanish settlers.

This kind of architecture attempts to exude warmth and elegance by the use of sun burned colors and the atmosphere of a sea side exotic and tropical city.

2. “Modern” / “Contemporary” Architecture Perhaps this is the embodiement of architects pressured to embrace consumerism, by the adoption of what is coined ‘contemporary architecture’. This is characterized by minimlistic exteriors with almost no ornamantation. The basic characters include assortment of rectangles and lines extruded out from plain surfaces. The dominating colors are very light and neutral such as a white, grey and very light brown.

This kind of architecture aims to be elegantly styled and supplied with the latest fittings, and almost always complimented by a look out over tree-lined streets, parks and courtyards.

2. English Victorian Architecture Victorian architecture originated in the United Kingdom in the mid-tolate 19th century. Of its most characterizing features are bay windows, round coulumns, slobing Gabing roofs, dormer windows, Porches and over use of ornamentation on exteiror surfaces around clapboard sidings. It is as often used in palaces and castles.

This kind of architecture atempts to convey an image of sophisticated luxury and elitist lifestyle.

“I have worked with Shehab Mazhar right after I graduated, and had the chance to speak to him personally. He’s a smart man with a really sharp eye. He travels a lot around the world, notices things a really likes, and comes back with pictures for his designers and drafters. And that is basically how the design process goes.” - Ibrahim

The Selling Process Image from Sodic’s East Town Cairo.

that tails ople s for real

mzy

ficer

ADVERTISEMENT STRATEGIES

The most eminent strategy used by most compounds in the sample studied was the overuse of brochures and images that are very much out of touch with reality. The majority of images were of artistic nature such as paintings that are very vague in nature and often convey a dreamy, warm and attractive atmosphere rather than providing architectural information.

The slogans were often cheesy phrases that revolved around living the happy perfect life. Compounds in the middle of the new cairo desert, where the heat is scorching for most of the year, and the surroundings are quite unwalkable, were described as charming Oasis, containing natural green spaces and water features, fantastic views, tranquility, saftey, vibrant communities, and were setting new standards in living,

Image from Villette compound’s brochure. Caption: Space to Live.

Further Reflections

REDUNDANCY OF THE ARCHITECTURAL PROFESSION IMPLICATION:

The Architectural profession involves in essence the creation of a creative and intelligent solution, being sensible to the surrounding context.

The older core of the city is currently becoming overloaded and has according to many urbanists reached its full capacity, and passed its breaking point. While it suffers from many crippling urban, societal and economic challenges, the new expansions east and west of the city represent the outlet for the city to recreate itself. It is the opportunity for the city to learn from the challenges that it already faces and avoid them.

In general, the real estate market should aim for affordability, diversity and walkability. Creating isolated bubles of city for the elite, does no more than multiply the old city’s problems. Without vibrant mixed use communities that attract all social classes and are safe and accessible to everybody, new developments will continue to be crippled.

Additionally, new developments call for an environmentally sustainableapproach. In the very hot context where valuable resources such as water are in scarcity, and in a city that barely meets its energy needs, the architecture must certainly be sensible and responsive. Passive techniques for cooling, ventilation and shading, and urban clustering need to be employed.

The current mode of development only accounts for aethestics in a very shallow manner. Certain “styles” are immaturly copied and pasted out of their context, on the basis they are visually pleasing and will sell better. Architecture has changed into an industry driven simply by consumerism and profit seeking. This has further worsened public taste.

IMPLICATION:

SOCIAL SEGREGATION

The constructed reality created by advertisment is unreflective of the reality people live. An adoptd model of a western suburban lifestyle is superimposed on the Egyptian context. People are always very happy, and the entire photogenic family is beaming with smiles. The contrast is huge between this reality and that of over 60% of the city’s housing which informal, and the majority of the strugglin and diminishing poor middle class. Images like these are stuck all over the city’s billboards, visible to everyone but reachalbe to very few. It is not uncommon that the typical life goal for an average middle family is gather a lifetime of savings to provide a similar lifestyle fot their children.

Moreover, these realities are coupled with actual physicall walls and fences that seperate the elite from the rest of the city, only increasing walls between social classes.

The absence of diversity and the evident segregation weakens our societies

The Selling Process

references

Apart from the final reflections, which represent the personal opinion of the author, the remainder of the data regarding gated developments in New Cairo were based websites and brochures of Real estate developers.

These include but are not exclusive to -

www.easttowncairo.com www.palmhillsdevelopments.com www.egypt.travel (golf) www.alahly.com www.mividia-egypt.com www.emarmisr.com www.allamsons.com Regents Park facebook page www.sodic.com www.thewaterway-eg.com www.mls.com.eg www.talaatmoustafa.com