TAHA SALAH PORTFOLIO 2021 by Taha.Salah

THE COMPASS I GRADUATION PROJECT

I The Site

PORTFOLIO 2021

The Site is located in Downtown between Opera and Ataba squares, They link the commercial and business district of Khedivial Cairo to a group of wholesale specialized markets surrounding Ataba Square, The two squares, originally a major cultural and recreational node, are currently separated by the Opera multistory garage built on the original site of the Khedivial Opera House, The surrounding area is characterized by a diverse mixture of land uses, commercialC activities, and a number of historic buildings, To the North, lies the historic Azbakeya Garden, which is now encroached upon by several buildings including three theatres, an on- street second hand book market, a multistory garage and bus terminal (the Ataba Garage), several office and commercial buildings, and a medical centre, The southern and eastern edges of the two squares are lined by a number of administrative buildings, a shopping mall and a cinema, in addition to a large historic fruit and vegetable market, To the west and south west of Opera Square, lies a number of mixed use (commercial-office-residential) and heritage buildings the most important of which are Parliament Hotel and the Ottoman dating al-Kekhia Mosque (on el-Gomhoureya and Kasr el-Nile Streets), On the northern al- Khazendar Square lies two major historic buildings; Sednaoui department store and Eden Palace Hotel.

Cairo today is witnessing the trend of commercial and economic decentralization, Downtown is also loosing its role as a cultural and touristical center of the city with the moving of the Egyptian Museum to the Pyramids Area, The Campus of the American University in Cairo was also moved to periphery and there are some plans to move the Stock Exchange and Mogamma buildings, Downtown today is contested and diverse place, between the rich and the poor, As downtown has lost its aesthetic quality and attractivness as a place to live it is thus transformed today in something as a central circulation area, As some important functions are leaving downtown (Mogamma building with its governmental offices, The Egyptian Museum, Stock Market building) will Downtown have a possibility to become a cultural, economical, political city center again or will it berely stay a domain for circulation ? Downtown with its belle-epoque building stock and central location along the Nile has a huge potential to recover and become a central place for culture, entertainment.

PORTFOLIO 2021

I Functional Changes

PORTFOLIO 2021

I Social Changes

PORTFOLIO 2021

Alhtough Downton Cairo has withnessed many changes since modern Khedivian district was created, the population density throughout all these years stayed similar. However, there was a big shift in a social structure in Downtown after the ‘’Officers‘ Revolution“ in 1950s. The politics of nationalization, a new rental system, tendencies to decentralization lead to higher upper classes leaving Downtown and new inhabitants moving in, many of who where people from lower/middle classes or rural imigrants.

PORTFOLIO 2021

I Micro Scale

I Site Issues:

-The Opera garage is located in the project plot. -Both of the longitudinal sides of the project plot were bounded with Al-Azhar bridge, what cause lack of the visual capability to the project. -there were vehicles› street pass through the project plot.

I Solutions:

PORTFOLIO 2021

-The Opera garage will be removed and replaced with two floor underground garage(full plot area). -El-Azhar bridge will be removed and El-Azhar tunnel works as a replacement. -the street passing through the project plot will be removed. -some two way streets will be replaced with one way street, other street will be reversed.

PORTFOLIO 2021

I Concept Testing

I Phase 1

I Phase 2

I Phase 3

I Phase 4

I Form Generation

PORTFOLIO 2021

The Grids designed to make each and every mass connect contextually, the longitudinal masses faces ibrahim basha statue, another mass faces tiring at end and azzbakeya garden at its other end, the mass that contain the entertainment zone facing the National Theater For Children.

PORTFOLIO 2021

Brutalism Powerful, imposing structures with an unpretentious and unapologetic aesthetic, yet standing out for their bold individuality, and in the form of sculpture, brutalist architecture establishes the right of building materials and structural features to be seen, admired and even celebrated, It even found its way into inetrior design, Featuring visually heavy edifices with geometric lines, solid concrete frames, exaggerated slabs, double height ceilings, massive forbidding walls, exposed concrete and a predominantly monochrome palette, brutalism prioritised function over form, and strippedback minimalism over flashy design. Interestingly, the word is derived from the French phrase, béton burt, meaning ‘raw or unfinished concrete’. Post-Modernist in spirit and quite basic in form, brutalism eschews decorative elements.

PORTFOLIO 2021

Minimalism Embracing new materials and rejecting ornament, using of abstraction and simplicity combined with industrial materials and reducing forms are essential characteristics of Minimalist architecture. By condensing design to its essential elements and focusing on form, light, space, and materials, Minimalist architecture achieves harmony through simplicity. contemporary architect practicing minimalism. Known for its use of smooth concrete, light, and natural elements like water. Minimalist architecture often bring together nature and the interior to achieve a balance between the man-made architecture and the environment. Order and harmony are obtained through the use of geometric forms, bare walls, and simple materials. In this way, “the essence of architecture” shines through in the design. Modernism as one of the most optimistic styles in architectural history, drawing from notions of utopia, innovation, and the reimagin how humans would live, work, and interact. The design is based on the ratio of volumes and proportions. So the building spot is closed rectangles divided into 3 zones. In the exterior, the main materials are concrete, which flows into the interior. This helps to better emphasize the geometry of the shape. 21

I Project Component A. Business Incubator -Workshops : Existing Business that requires assistance in Project Development to act as a Makers’ space. -Marketing Zones : Exhibition will be used for companies’ booths, gathering, new business launching, funding meetings and display of newly in-house evolved technology. B. Culture Center -contains seminar rooms where discussion can be held, multi purpose halls where lot of events can be held, archive with the memory of the district and opera memory, and gathering spaces where a lot of activities can be made.

PORTFOLIO 2021

C. Entertainment Center -Local community Entertainment services to support the project and startups financially. Restaurant will be provided so that the Facility may become a self sufficient one and provide food at odd working hours that one usually witnesses at these centres, Food court connected to restaurant services, Cafes, Cinemas Complex.

PORTFOLIO 2021 EXTERIOR SHOT FROM THE PUBLIC PLAZA SHOWING IBRAHIM PASHA STATUE, THE MAIN ENTRANCE, AND THE AZBAKEYA GARDEN IN THE BACKGROUND.

PORTFOLIO 2021

EXTERIOR SHOT FROM THE CROSS ROAD SHOWING THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN MASSES TO FULFILL THE BREAKING BARRIERS CONCEPT, IBRAHIM PASHA STATUE, AND MAIN ENTRANCE.

ENTRY LEVEL PLAN

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

PORTFOLIO 2021

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

THIRD FLOOR PLAN

PORTFOLIO 2021

26 BIRD›S EYE VIEW SHOWING THE PROJECT, AZBAKEYA GARDEN, AND HIGHLIGHT THE CONTRAST BETWEEN TRADITIONAL BUILDING AND NEW FORM.

LAYOUT

PORTFOLIO 2021

INTERIOR SHOT FROM THE MAIN ATRIUM SHOWING VERTICAL CIRCULATION AND THE CONCEPT OF REDIRECTING AND PLURALISM IN DESIGN, APPEAR IN THE USED GRIDS AND USERS.

INTERIOR SHOT FROM THE MAIN ATRIUM SHOWING THE CONCEPT OF BREAKING BARRIERS IN DESIGN, APPEARS IN THE BRIDGES THAT OVERLOOK EACH OTHER.

INTERIOR SHOT FROM ATRIUM SHOWING THE CONCEPT OF BREAKING BARRIERS AND PLURALISM IN DESIGN, APPEAR IN THE BRIDGES THAT OVERLOOK EACH OTHER, AND USERS.

INTERIOR SHOT FROM THE LAB SHOWING THE CONCEPT OF BREAKING BARRIERS IN DESIGN, APPEARS IN THE COLLISION OF MASSES.

PORTFOLIO 2021

I Space Model

ZAYED CENTER

I APPROACHES

PORTFOLIO 2021

I ENVIRONMENT & SURROUNDINGS

I FORM GENERATION

PORTFOLIO 2021

VIGOROUS YOUTH CENTER

I APPROACHES

PORTFOLIO 2021

I ENVIRONMENT & SURROUNDINGS

I PROGRAM ANALYSIS

PORTFOLIO 2021

VINNIE RESIDENCE

PORTFOLIO 2021

HELWAN RESIDENCE

PORTFOLIO 2021

HEADQUARTER OF A BANK

PORTFOLIO 2021

THE REUSE OF BOLAQ BRIDGE MEMORY OF THE NATION EXHIBITION

PORTFOLIO 2021

URBAN DESIGN & HOUSING

PORTFOLIO 2021

I ALTERNATIVE 1

PORTFOLIO 2021

I ALTERNATIVE 2

PORTFOLIO 2021

URBAN DESIGN

BETWEEN HISTORICAL & NEW CAIRO

PORTFOLIO 2021

WORKING DRAWINGS I SPORTS HALL

PORTFOLIO 2021

WORKING DRAWINGS I CINEMA COMPLEX

PORTFOLIO 2021