Breaking the chains - Art center proposal - Graduation project thesis

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Graduation Project Research

Presented to: Dr. Khaled Asfour TA. Nourhan Shamel TA. Nardine

Presented by: Serag El-Muhdy 12/0819 Ziad Labib 12/1638


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Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Project brief .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Problem statement ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Slogan ............................................................................................................................................................ 4 Breaking the chains ................................................................................................................................... 4 Art and Liberty Movement............................................................................................................................ 5 Foundation ................................................................................................................................................ 5 Vision......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Mission ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 Performance Artists ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Al Laila Al Kabira ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Tawfiq Al Hakim ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Yusuf Idris................................................................................................................................................ 12 Saad Ardash ............................................................................................................................................ 14 Visual Artists ............................................................................................................................................... 16 Abd El Hamid El Gazzar (1925-1966) ...................................................................................................... 16 Fouad Kamel ........................................................................................................................................... 18 Salah Jahien Exhibition............................................................................................................................ 21 Train Station Mood ................................................................................................................................. 22 Site Research ............................................................................................................................................... 23 Site history .............................................................................................................................................. 23 Site analysis ............................................................................................................................................. 25 Urban Approach Redesign Proposal ........................................................................................................... 27 Railway Station Landscape.......................................................................................................................... 30 Layout...................................................................................................................................................... 30 Solid and Void ......................................................................................................................................... 33 Art Center Architecture Layout ................................................................................................................... 35


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Abstract As an Egyptian, its always been a dream to be able to create something that develops our society and changes our community to the better. Architecture rarely has the chance to have such a great impact on people's lives. This project is an opportunity to change people’s perspectives, taste, and behavior. Our community has long been lacking interest in artists and theater plays due to discouraging times. People’s taste has declined and suffered from new arts that have no base, inspiration, authenticity or originality to the great Egyptian culture.

Project brief Our project aim is to bring back certain art that will improve and educate the Egyptians about their culture and traditions. Ramses square is the most appropriate place to use for this project to address and impact all Egyptian. It is a meeting point between several cities and therefore different thinking of Egyptians. The site is placed in the now existing location of the Egyptian post office and extends in length about 100 meters to the east. In front of the site to the west is the Ramses railway station and its now arid landscape. The idea was to choose an art movement that clearly represented a philosophy that affected the community in the past. This philosophy had to impact the Egyptian society on different levels. The performance arts and visual arts in the project would suit this movement’s philosophy and aim. Each visual artist and performance artists that was chosen has a distinguishable character which was reflected in his art. Therefore, any space that holds this art should architecturally reflect the artist’s character. This ensures the success of the experience and hence the success of the project. Moreover, the landscape acts as an important opportunity to the project. Acting as a view, access, and extension to the theme of the project, the landscape can be used to further impact the society through the chosen philosophy.


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Problem statement An old saying states,” you don’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been. “Our history has a lot to teach us, especially our Egyptian history. It is typical to create new styles and trends to art; however, these creations must be built upon an origin. Consider a car’s design as a painting, each year the manufacturers release a new model with a design based on the previous by yet related to a more modern taste. This adaptive design is needed otherwise the customers will not buy the product. The design must suit new generations, new thoughts, and needs. Without reflecting upon our history, our future is ambiguous and we find evidence now as we see new generations attracted to arts that have emerged spontaneously. Arts such as Mahraganat or underground music have no clear expression and more importantly no message to deliver.

Slogan Breaking the chains Our society has long suffered from monotony; lack of variety and questioning. Our community has reached a phase that is much lower on every level than 40 years ago. The only solution to fix the community is through the society itself. Breaking apart from this monotony requires a difference, a change, a chance, but more importantly it requires breaking the chains. Breaking the chains will fix the community because people will begin to question their state, others actions, their own behavior and start to develop on it. Just like the art and liberty movement has brought back a trend in a new modern way and developed upon it to suit a new generation. The Art and Liberty movement was also successful in affecting people’s perception of art; this is because the movement pledged and aimed to bring back traditional themes of Egypt and did they by portraying them in a completely different way that inspired new minds and new generations!


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Art and Liberty Movement Foundation In 1938, George Henain together with Ramses Younan founded the Art and Liberty (Freedom Movement). They aimed to revive the imagination, free expression, and social freedom of the community. Among many of their inspirations for their drawings was the Egyptian cultural values and folklore themes. This movement started in a critical period where art and culture was being neglected. In the era of the British occupation of Egypt, many of our traditions and origins were changed due to this foreign cultural Art and Liberty Movement Pioneers occupation. This movement brought back out traditions and cultural values in a modern way as soon as the occupation ended.

Vision This movement pledged to “emancipate the imagination from any and all constraints” Through media, the Art and Liberty movement promised to “fight against the reactionary spirit, protects the rights of the individual and insist on the right of women to live in freedom.” The movement “fights for modern art and free thought, and presents to young Egypt the movements of today.”

Mission With the public interested in their aim to combine Art and Social Engagement, their primary task became “to establish a school where we can teach people how and why they should be discontented, discontented with the chains that bind them and the society whose values are set in stone.” The art and Freedom movement welcomed different other artist trends. It also helped relate the Egyptian artist to the contemporary world, and relate the concept of art to the concept of freedom. Thanks to the surrealistic movement, more attention was given to our folklore heritage which was being neglected. 1.

http://www.egyptiansurrealism.com/

2.

http://www.ibtauris.com/books/the%20arts/history%20of%20art%20%20art%20%20design%20styles/history%20of %20art%20%20design%20styles%20from%20c%201900/surrealism%20in%20egypt%20modernism%20rupture%20a nd%20the%20art%20and%20liberty%20group

3.

http://m.cairoscene.com/ArtsAndCulture/When-Arts-Meet-Liberty-A-Surrealist-Exhibit-into-Egypt-s-Amazing-Art-History


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Performance Artists The following artists have been chosen accordingly to suit the Art and Liberty movement philosophy. These artists emerged between the 1920-1970s era and aimed to lift the limitation of the community, offering a new perspective by breaking the chains.

Al Laila Al Kabira Background The marionette is a long-lasting type of theatrical play that has been in Egypt for centuries. However, over periods it has vanished but has greatly emerged in 1958 when a Romanian band played a show in Egypt. The public was fascinated and vastly accepted this theater once again when they built “the marionette theater”.

Impact This theater was aiming to revive that imaginative type of play that diffuses the relationship that the child has with his puppet in his fantasy of a world. This theater grabbed plenty of minds and hearts of children and adults whilst portraying different themes of folklore in Egypt and sending messages to better develop the community and upcoming generations. The artists behind this type of play and movement all aimed for the freedom of thinking and unlimited creativity of the audiences through festivity and joy such as Salah Jahien. In 1960 the – till now famous – marionette play called ‘Al Leila el Kabira’ by the pioneer Salah Jahien played and had a great impact on the public that it played internationally later on. This type of play, along with several other for Salah Jahien, was played in a unique matter that addressed festivity and joy to the audience.

Al Laila Al Kabira Poster

Connection to project: Salah Jahien portrayed different aspects, scenery, and districts in Egypt through this folklore play; he used dynamic and moving background scenery where the setting changes while the puppets are at the same spot. This allowed the story to be experienced while the child does not suffer through the buffering between curtain closing and opening. 4. http://www.shorouknews.com/news/view.aspx?cdate=14042015&id=37cd22ef-4dfd-4d8b-a65b-06423921b041 5. http://www.theatreview.org.nz/reviews/production.php?id=3599


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Laila AL Kabira Theater Mood The traditional Al Laila Al Kabira play design and theaters still meant that the child would sit in the same place and watch through a still frame as ‘his’ puppets move. This, nowadays, became an inefficient way to set an adventurous message where the stage delivers the experience of going through a journey with the audience. In 2010, an innovative type of theater was played in Auckland where the audience experience was essential. The theater type aimed to break the fourth wall and dimension between the stage and the audience. The stage was placed in a circular geometry around the audience whilst the audience spectated and rotated along the different scenes around them. This highly interactive journey meant 360 theater concepts that the stage was no longer a picture frame but a panoramic live event happening around the audience- integrating between them and the stage. Our proposal is innovating a theater that is specific to ‘Al Laila Al Kabira’. Instead of watching the play through a picture frame where the scenery changed and puppets stay in same sight direction we can bring the audience through the journey which the puppets go through as they circle around the rotating audience enhancing the festivity of the play and joy of the experience. Light and color is a decisive factor in capturing the mood and differentiating between the active and inactive scenes. The active scene is emphasized by the large opening which brings a larger amount of light and rotates according to the active scene while the inactive scenes are spotlighted by dimmed circular openings of different colors while. The innovative ceiling rotates with the chairs during the performance, highlighting the active scene. This innovation interacts with audience as they travel with the puppets through this festive journey while the different colors- that complement ‘Al Laila Al Kabira’- bring joy and makes an unforgettable space experience to the audience of a remarkable play.


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Tawfiq Al Hakim Background Tawfiq Al Hakim was a famous Egyptian writer. He is one of the pioneers of the Arabic novel and drama. Many of his successful play solved issues and dilemmas that have confronted the struggle to portray complex communications between the stage and the audience.

Impact His plays aimed for social engagement by portraying issues in the society. The audience Clip from the tree climber play could then have a different perspective of these issues, either by knowing a different solution or simply laughing at it in a satirical play. “The Tree Climber presents a satirical picture of a marriage so settled that neither partner seems to really notice the other and of the misconstructions that result when conversations and interrogations are between people with a different awareness. “the play is considered by some critics as an intellectual puzzle” in many ways the play perfectly describes the Tewfik’s vision.”

Connection to project Tawfiq Al Hakim’s stories had a much greater affect on people. He stated that the imagination or ‘the theater of the mind’ was much greater than the theater you Tree Climber novel go to watch a play. This was because his play was often difficult to interpret on to sets because of the stories fictional settings and narration. This was reflected in our design by showing both the stories and the reality, allowing the readers to read the story and see the story at the same time, thus changing their perspective of something they previously knew while widening their imagination. 1. http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/the-tree-climbe-cockpit-theatre-11697 2. http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/104470/11/11_chapter%203.pdf


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Mood Because of Tawfiq Al Hakim’s philosophy of theater (that the theater of the mind is greater than the real theater), formal and informal reading areas are offered to the public from the entrance as well as inside the building itself. Sitting in these elegant reading areas offers a contemplation and relaxing atmosphere where the public can read Tawfiq’s novel as well as relate them to the live performance happening inside the auditorium that they over look. Once entering the auditorium, the audience instantly feels relaxed and at home as comfortable and various seating are offering in the Showroom theater. The showroom also offers the elegant atmosphere where families can gather on tables while watching a legendary show, this seating arrangement makes the audience feel cozy and more connected.

Show Room Theater give the audience the chance to interact between each other, giving them a unique way in experiencing the play by delivering sense of coziness

The VIP restaurant strengthen the idea of social engagement by offering the visitors the chance to enjoy Tawfiq al hakim’s novels and link them with the show


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Yusuf Idris Background He was an Egyptian writer of plays, short stories, and novels. He sought to put the foundations of a modern Egyptian theater based on popular traditions and folklore, his main success in this quest was his most famous work, a play called "Al-Farafeer" depicting two main characters: The Master and the "Farfour" [=poor layman].

Yusuf Idris

Impact “In many ways, Idris helped shape modern Egyptian theater, blending folklore and popular elements with modern storytelling techniques.” Idris directs his fierce criticism and biting satire at modern society in a mix of abstractionism, surrealism and improvised comedy. Al Farafeer 1964 His play, named “Al Farafeer”, is a surrealistic depiction of society by Youssef Idris is very publicly admired. This theatrical play depicts the struggle between the masters and the slaves. There must be a master and a slave for life to function properly however without slavery.

Al Farafeer Novel

Connection to project: The play consists of asking rhetorical questions and problems with no solutions. They depicted social Al Farafeer Clip dilemmas in satirical ways and motivated a different ideological approach in the society. The play aimed to lift personal limits and issues through satire and comedy, uplifting the public’s spirit. This happened by making them making fun of issues that are otherwise considered social dilemmas, thus changing their perspective and thinking. 1. http://www.elcinema.com/work/1803234/ 2. http://takfiknamati.tv/en/wpcontent/uploads/2016/08/Don_Rubin_World_Encyclopedia_of_Contemporary_TheBookos.org_.pdf 3. http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/16479/21/Youssef-Idris.aspx


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Mood His theater and performances always aimed to reflect messages through satirical comedy. His audience always experienced ‘uplifting the spirit’. His building is of 3 different masses of different angles and heights marking the transition in scale from each. The audience enters through a foyer marked by abstract screens that resemble the improvised comedy and creating a dynamic atmosphere which motivates satire and comedy in the auditorium. Moreover, in the foyer, the audience can see the rehearsal and of the show which gives them an insight the shows process and making. The auditorium is formed by an inclined mass where the audience enters from the ground level. Enhancing the uplifting experience through their movement.

Foyer

By entering the foyer, visitors will be attracted by the rehearsals room which overlooks the foyer


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Saad Ardash Background Saad Ardash was an actor as well as a director during his lifetime in the theater. He became a pioneer in the modern Egyptian theater and the founder of ‘Egypt’s Free Theater’. Saad Ardash was bold in his approach, willing to introduce new ideas in order to regain popularity of the theater in the Egyptians’ lives. Believing in the ancient Greek idea that the theater is a means of public enlightenment, Ardash adapted the themes and mechanisms of European absurdist and epic productions of theater to the current issues of the Egyptian community at the time.

Saad Ardash

Impact Ardash had plenty of traits in the theater that characterized him but the most important is his ability to raise the artistic standards of the actors by offering the opportunity to portray more difficult acting scenes and translating fantasies into physical performances. His flexible theater challenged talents and attracted new minds. After Ardash returned from studying in Rome, Ardash introduced a new thinking and design of the theater inspired greatly by a German named Bertolt Brecht. Brecht proposed that the director has the social responsibility to educate the public through his stage. By creating a stage that clearly expresses the scene without an illusion or hidden mechanical advancement; the stage design was considered to be an art to be observed for the first time.

Hallo Shalaby Performance

Connection to project: Because of his new stage design and ability to portray fantasy into physical performance, Ardash’s stage can become a means of enlightenment and a way to further enhance audience experience by shifting more focus to stage background. http://www.aljadid.com/content/saad-ardash-life-theater-and-exile


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Mood He always aimed to develop performances that would-be opportunities to develop and show the talents of actors. He introduced new ideas to the theater in decors and performances. The audience can also have an insight to the development of the show by witnessing the rehearsals before entering the show. This gives them a deeper understanding to the mechanisms of the theater. His foyer is characterized by skylight patterns that create an elegant and dignified atmosphere. The skylight is inclined to the south to capture the south sunlight while also contemplating its steel structure with Jahien’s exhibition.More space was given to the actors to perform and feel freer in His theater is a thrust stage to give maximum visibility to the audience of the show while offering the performers a large stage that is capable of handling new acting scenes and talents. This stage design also gives the director to give more transparency to the scenery and mechanisms of the show.

expressing himself, even more flexible and closer to the audience

Fusion

Interlocking and fusion appear clearly between the foyer and the exhibition, the mezzanine floor offers good, giving the visitors different perspective.


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Visual Artists Abd El Hamid El Gazzar (1925-1966) Background In a very personal style, Al Gazzar underwent many changes from classicism, cubism to surrealism. He was born in Sayda Zeinab where he acquired plenty of inspiration for his art. He uses few bright colors in green, red, brown, and white and black. He seldom uses shadows or nuances. His figures are ample and coarse. He often uses Egyptian and Islamic themes and symbols in his paintings. After the revolutions, his aim was to combine and portray his painting and inspire others artists to interact with the society.

Impact In his painting, Mouled, he portrays an oftenenthusiastic moment of a carnival, however, this picture portrays his surrealistic depictions of the complex aspect. There is a traceable anxiety to be seen in people’s faces because their joy has vanished. During this stage, he portrayed a purely Egyptian environment and he did not try to tarnish the image of human beings but only to portray what is truly inside them. To express his feelings, he used characters trapped in a legendary atmosphere.

Connection to project: Gazzar said “artist takes from reality the amount that enables him to express himself. Though the folk life seems to be joyful at the start but contains complexity and tragedies deep inside.� This thinking made him portray the folk life in a different way, widening the imagination of others while informing them of a new perspective to traditional conception.

http://a-elgazzar.com/en/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/analysis-surrealism-egyptian-artist-abdel-hady-el-gazzar-karim-badr


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Mood Because Abd El Hadi El Gazzar had the distinct character of portraying his canvas on two different levels – complexity and joy- two masses are designed to reflect and contemplate these atmospheres. The entrance through the ground floor leads to a joyful atmosphere shaded by a colorful translucent skylight structure that creates a legendary walkthrough in his exhibition and enhances the joyful experience of observing his joyful character in paintings. The joyful ramp leads to the complex side of his exhibition where a triangular roof becomes the source of light offering darker colors. His depictions are also reflected from 2d elements into 3d elements to give visitors a deeper understanding to his art and depictions. These 3d elements are spotlighted by the triangular patterns from the skylight.

Joy could be sensed once entering the space due to the colorful translucent skylight structure that creates a legendary walkthrough

3d sculptures 2d sculptures


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Fouad Kamel Background Found Kamel is one of the youngest members of the Art and Liberty Movement. When he took part in the society’s first show in 1940 he wasn't 20 yet. His paintings that period leaned towards decorativeness, exploiting and mastery of color mixing due to his excellent sense of color and fertile imagination.

Impact At the beginning of his works he used romanticism hidden in depth, his paintings from 1939 until 1943 express themselves with the aspiration towards the future by mixing romantic feelings with surrealistic touch, Fouad Kamel was done with the romantic tendency at the beginning of fifties, while maintaining his surrealistic imagination in he shattered his anatomical gauge.

Fouad Kamel Abstractionism

Fouad Kamel aimed to show mystery and make spectators curious. He would often distort, rotate, and mirror images to hide forms and geometry in his Fouad Kamel Romanticism fictional paintings. This style aimed to create a more intimate relationship between spectators and his paintings, as it often required more time to appreciate and understand his depictions.

Connection to project: His approach to how art can be perceived was critical to change people’s imagination. The fact that he would distort his forms, mirror his geometry meant that it was necessary for spectators to widen their imaginations and change their perspective to understand his art. This made them look at the same thing differently and increase their curiosity.

http://www.madamasr.com/en/2016/11/11/feature/culture/the-permanent-revolution-from-cairo-to-paris-with-theegyptian-surrealists/


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Fouad Kamel Exhibition Fouad Kamel focused his art on targeting the psychological aspects of the observers. He would portray dream-like scenery with ambiguous unclear forms and geometry. His exhibition architecture compliments his art, making the architecture and his art one whole. His complex forms that are painted sometimes in black and white, solid and void, are difficult to understand in 2d, his entrance, therefore, is a reflection of these forms to patterns of light. Where his forms became shade and shadow patterns on the floor which give the visitors a different perspective of his art. This marks the curiosity of the visitors.

Exhibition entrance

Moreover, a dilemma that faces upcoming generations is that they do not find interest in art because they do not comprehend it. Thus, in his exhibition, art is broken down from 2d elements into 3d elements. Where for example, if his painting contains a hidden geometry of a horse or the painting was inspired by a The size of the exhibit room varies according to the type and size of paintings horse, then that would be reflected as a physical form in his exhibition. This would explain to the visitors the process and dreams that inspired Fouad Kamel. Giving more transparency to his art inspirations.


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Next, his paintings are complimented in different spaces that enhance the perception and understanding, by distorting images through a slight inclination, or by mirroring the painting by putting mirrors on the sides, people can literally see that you need to change how you look at the painting to comprehend it. Lastly, Fouad Kamel was not only a painter but a writer who published articles about social issues and the community which later inspired his art. The articles, if read, can give a much deeper understanding to the visitors. This created a reading space in his exhibition that is emphasized by the light and calm patterns.

Reading, observing art translated to physical elements.


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Salah Jahien Exhibition Salah was a poet, lyricist, playwright and cartoonist. He played an important role in the making of the famous Laila Al Kabira a. This is due to his extreme devotion to reflecting fantasy into reality. He created these dolls that reflected different characters of different folklore themes in Egypt. His exhibition leads to the theater of his work. Where you can see the reflection of his poetry into paintings, then into physical scultpure and finally into the performance. This process gives an insight into how the art is made, further raising interest. Various ways in presenting the exhibits, to attract the visitors and deliver show

The experience is that of festivity and joy as the exhibition becomes a main attraction to the visitors. Dolls are emphasized with colors and descending skylights that further Cross Section of Exhibition focus the light upon them. Creating spotlights on different colors and character. The light changes into a circular shape as it focuses on the scenery of the folklore themes. Creating a vibrant reflection of the materials.

Furthermore, his paintings are placed inside rooms of different scale and height. This created an opportunity for visitors to intimately observe his paintings with a slight inclination to suit the human height which is complemented by a skylight.


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Train Station Mood Train station are considered dull atmospheres that offer no certain experience. Harsh structures composed of steel trusses cover the platforms and creates a depressive rhythm. Daniel Buren, a French conceptual artist, has a distinct character in design which includes uses vibrant colors to give life to the space. The Ramses railway station can become a hub of joy and uplifting experience when translucent colorful panels are placed through out the platform. These panels will deflect light and give different shades of colors as the sunlight enters the space. This experience offers a new perspective to the adventurous experience of travel while uplifting any tension and stress that public experiences.

1. https://denisetinparis.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/daniel-buren-grand-palais-2.jpg 2. 3.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/69/06/6d/69066dd4244d89ff04a7e41b7a1ffe49.jpg https://aajpress.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/daniel-buren.jpg


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Site Research Detailed site research was conducted to reflect the history of the space that was once prosperous while solving urban issues that surfaced over time. Analyzing the eras that have passed through this space and its reflection on the people shows how people see this field in the past, present and future.

Site history Ramses Square was considered an important node even before the railway was built. Over time the park was complimented with the railway station however later the park quality declined as focus on circulation, car movement became more crucial. When the 6th October bridge was built, the pollution increases on many levels with high traffic.

Mohamed Ali Park In the era of Muhammad Ali Pasha Ramses Square was a park, Ramses Street was called Abbas the first which was connected to Abbbasia. As Egypt station was set up after the signing of Khedive Abbas to an agreement with the British government for the establishment of a railway line between Cairo and Alexandria Analysis: • Mohamed Ali wanted to make the square a Central focal point in the city

18th Century, field view.

• It becomes an important central plaza, leads to overlapping features and spaces. • The station became more important with a big focus on it -

focal point - Openness

18th Century train station

- Public integration

6. 7.

http://blog.ricecracker.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/02320015.jpg https://www.lonelyplanet.com/egypt/cairo/transportation/ramses-train-station/a/poi-tra/1315409/355225


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Nahdet Masr The street name has remained until the reign of King Farouk who change it to the Queen Nazli Street the mother of King Farouk Street. Following the placement of the statue of Nahdet Masr in the middle of the field in 1926, which was published by Saad Zaghloul Pasha and the square was called Nahdet Masr. Analysis:

Nahdet Masr Statue

■ The square became more important after putting the statue. ■ The statue was placed there to represent the renaissance of Egypt from the square, so the square became the important feature of urban development in Egypt. - Development - Landmark

Bab El Hadeed Square After the July Revolution, the statue of Nahdet Masr was transferred next to the zoo in Giza Governorate, 19th Century train station field and it was called “Bab El Hadeed"; due to the presence of large iron gates surrounding the field. In 1955, Ramses II statue was placed in this field then the street was named "Ramses Street" and field to "Ramses Square" and continued that label to this day. Analysis ■ Placing the Ramses statue made more prestige to the square ■ It helps the visitors to see the history through this landmark ■ More emphasis to the plaza and the station - Prestige - Honor 9. http://www.egyptindependent.com/new-look-cairo-train-station/ 10. http://www.ahram.org.eg/NewsPrint/384104.aspx

19th Century train station interior


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Site analysis Location The site consists of different districts and communities. The railway separates and sets boundaries between some of them. The train station consists of a landscape width of about 80m that sets it from the Galaa street which is right below the 6th of October bridge that has a height of about 15m.

Pedestrians Furthermore, pedestrians use one of several ways to reach the train station;1- using the underground subway,2- public transport which has two main drops off points one in front of the station and one behind, or 3-crossing the street where only on pedestrian walkway bridge is built. However, the experience is neglected and no strong landscape shade is offered.


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Train station The high density of pedestrians enters the train station from the south gate through walkways from the street or the subway hub that leads underground. The exit from the train station is through the south and leads faces a mosque that is neglected. Moreover, other facilities of the train station are also accessible through different small gates in the south faรงade of the train station. These entrances lead to shops, restaurants, and even businesses. The train station interior consists of platforms that are covered by steel framed trusses shaded by translucent panels. These extends throughout the whole platform and offering a calm atmosphere.

Urban Traffic in the area varies by day and time. With the 6th of October mostly congested in the afternoon and weekends, the streets below act as a substitute to escape this traffic. This means that movement from east to west and west to east is high in terms of cars. Movement through Al Gomhorya Street and Ramses street is high. The nearby buildings vary from business companies, to governmental, high amount of theaters, bookstores, bazaars, travel agencies and a few restaurants. Also, there is a high amount of street sellers on pavements.


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Urban Approach Redesign Proposal The Ramses square along with the overall approach to the train station is now considered to be one of the most congested areas. Greatly feared by many as a destination and avoided when possible due to the increase tension, traffic, and pollution. Overtime, this area deteriorated and redesigning the area required several important factors all using different elements to solve different issues.

Informal music

Informal music

Car circulation and pedestrians’ movement as well as pathways created a chaotic experience in the area. No clear pathways lead people from the main streets to the train station and any crossing meant that they would have to face the dangers of crossing a high traffic street. Solving this, a tunnel can move cars underneath the pedestrians instead of on top. These tunnels offer fast routes and movement to the cars and increases the pedestrians’ safety. Their circulation remains the same and even offers a more suitable solution. Next, to organize and refurbish the now dull area, landscape design was needed to create a lush experience of festivity and joy once entering the premises of Ramses square. The once noise polluted area can change into a musical atmosphere filled with colors, shaded, and dynamic spaces.

Car tunnel


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Children Play area Bridge Drop-Off

Car tunnel Informal music

Water elements and restaurant


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Railway Station Landscape The Ramses railway station is mostly used as means of transportation for business reasons. Daily used by the poor to middle class for their jobs, it is considered as a tense and stressed experience to these travelers. To provide a new experience certain elements and activities lay the foundation such as music, acting, and art.

Layout The layout is composed of a spine that leads pedestrians through a curved geometry and offers spontaneous surprises and attractions. The curved geometry contrasts the art center to better emphasize the buildings and extends the philosophy of the art center through the various activities explained below.

Sunken Court

Station Entrance

Interactive sculptural arts

Crafting

Visual Arts

Museum Entrance

Theater

Station plaza

Music

Secondary plaza

Vibrant sitting area

Exchange restaurant


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Station entrance

Entrance The entrance consists of dense palm trees that offer shade and create an elegant approach to the rail way station. The plaza offers more pedestrian circulation with a dynamic experience included in the floor pattern.

Music Firstly, to create a quieter environment a solid wall of dense trees separates the polluted air and noise of the street, this also created a panoramic boundary to anyone inside the new Ramses Railway station. To further cover the noise, live music routinely played creates a new experience each time travelers come to the station while also attracting them for daily commutes. This area is suitable for possible musicals or concerts while being a publicly used space for anyone to come, share, and meet other musicians.

Shared Music

Stage Street art illusions

Visual Art Other activities can attract daily commuters to the area only for the landscape experience; street art is sometimes known as vandalism in communities however a great talent when used appropriately. 3d street art plays illusions on pedestrians, by for example drawings bridges in 3d perspective or stones on a lava, these pavement drawings distort the people’s perspective of the painting while creating an extremely interactive environment that changes routinely with new drawings every week.


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Restaurants

Exchange restaurant

Moreover, there are plenty of restaurants in the area, with a wide variety of style but the same experience none the less. By creating a multi-layered restaurant consistent of several elements, we can attract costumers for hours without getting bored. This happens by designing a restaurant that acts as an exchange spot, where you can go to eat, but have a spontaneous opportunity to admire and observe work made by new artists or you may have a direct approach to criticize these works along with others in designated sitting areas, thus widening your knowledge and learning about others perspective of the same thing. Lastly you can trade these works, either buying or selling, people have the opportunity to actually begin a business.

Crafting Hands on creativity heightens the imagination and interaction of the public through creating physical elements that reflect their psychology. Crafting becomes an interactive space that is dynamic and calm; it will attract daily commuters to explore their ability to create.

Crafting

Designated Sitting Areas Daily travelers are intrigued by this unique sitting are due to spatial experience. Its shaded space offers a vibrant zone filled with warm colors and is surrounded by a panoramic lush landscape. This area is placed at the entrance to for easy accessibility and pedestrian attraction.

Designated vibrant sitting areas


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Solid and Void

The new urban approach consists of 3 main spines that help flow pedestrian through a lush experience of shaded pathways. The enclosed spaces in the urban approach offer spontaneous activities of music, playing, contemplation, or eating.

In the landscape, the main spine leads the visitor through a street filled with surprises and curved geometry pulling them through different activities


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Art Center Architecture Layout Breaking the chains Translating ‘breaking the chains’ into architecture changes the blueprint of a typical arts center. Creating untraditional experience by exposing visitors to otherwise neglected elements of the art center will expose them to not only knowledge about the art but more importantly a new perspective. Sculptural elements translation

In any exhibition, the artist’s imagination and dreams are extracted into a simple twodimensional painting which visitors look at. Moreover, this painting is a result of inspired dreams and imagination that artists physically experience and this process is something visitors unfortunately do not realize. The process that inspired the paintings is neglected. However, by breaking down the art paintings into physical elements then the Art Paintings visitor can begin to grasp and actually enter the dreams composed of several elements that inspired the process that the artist went through to create the final result of this two-dimensional painting. Moreover, in theaters it is typically conceived as the typical stage with traditional seats however related to the décor of the director or pioneer. On the other hand, the rehearsal is a crucial element in the process of creating the final performance. The rehearsal, if emphasized, can begin to show hidden elements and the process of the act to the visitors and this will begin to expose them to a different perspective of the same thing, widening their imagination and lifting limitations.


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Even more, breaking the chains does not only occur outside auditoriums but also inside by designing new theater setting that accurately describes the performance such as ‘Al Laila Al Kabira’ we can bring the same show to the audience but in a completely different way. This unique setting to each performance will enhance the audience experience of the show. More so, art centers become so unconnected and form masses of isolated spaces that do not bring an overwhelming affect to visitors. If the visitor can spontaneously and continuously find spaces that ‘break the chains’ which emphasize the otherwise neglected spaces of the art center then visitors will not only understand the process of creating the art but more importantly be exposed to a different perception of the same elements thus lifting the limitations. The layout is formed of masses of different orientation and axis where masses and spaces interlock so as to make people be surprised when for example they walk through an exhibition and find rehearsals or when an exhibition becomes part of the foyer and also overlooks the auditorium and rehearsals. Movement throughout the building becomes unexpecting; the concept of fusing different spaces together immerses visitors in a brand-new experience.


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The first half of the project consists of a mysterious experience as there is less light intensity in the space. The are entrance leads to the art center foyer from which visitors can enter the Fouad Kamel exhibition, or the court which leads to Tawfiq Al Hakim foyer and Yusuf Idris foyer. The entrance space consists of casual sitting areas that offer comfort to visitor to sit and watch rehearsal or sit and read about art; this gives a glimpse to the public about the art happening around them. Then the restaurant overlooks Saad Ardash rehearsal giving a surprise to visitor too see an untraditional space. 1

Tawfiq Al Hakim Auditorium

4

Tawfiq Al Hakim Foyer

7

Al Gazzar joy exhibition

10

Yusuf Idris Back Stage

2

Tawfiq Al Hakim Backstage

5

Fouad Kamel Exhibition

8

Restaurant

11

Yusuf Idris Auditorium

6

Courtyard

9

Yusuf Idris Foyer

3

Tawfiq Al Hakim Rehearsal

7 8 4 1 6

2 3

10 9

5 11


P a g e | 38 This area consists of a larger court that creates a more pleasant dynamic experience. Upon entering the court, visitor see the target and destination of the project- Al Laila Al Kabira. Moreover, the angle of the exhibition tilts up to the west more than to the south. This difference in angles through out the project creates mystery because it does not give complete visibility of the project, this motivates visitor to explore the project as they move. The difference also creates a more dynamic movement in the project where they find a different sight, function, activity in each orientation of the masses. 1

Saad Ardash Rehearsal

4

Saad Ardash Auditorium

7

2

Saad Ardash Foyer

5

Gift Shop

8

Outdoor Restaurant kitchen Management

6

Puppet crafting workshop

9

Courtyard

3

Saad Ardash backstage

1 3

4

2

8

5 6

7


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Solid and void The entrance of the center is emphasized by a large shaded structure that extends to the public for greater engagement. Solid and void elevations emphasize the entrance with theaters being solid and the entrance being the void. Throughout the building various void are discovered according the space inside. This offers exploration and surprise where visitor walk through a solid area and discover a court then find another space where they find a larger court both with different characters and activities.

Scale and proportion With different scales to each space to differentiate between experience, the visitor is motivated to explore and observe the building more. Intimate spaces such as the public loop is given a lower height to emphasize exhibitions and foyers that lead to auditoriums. This transition creates comfortable movement between scales of the space. Moreover, visitors spontaneously discover large scaled areas such as the courts where the building tells them to stop. This surprise makes visitors have a wider look at more activities where they find more than one space overlooking the courts.


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Walk Through Analysis The entrance is characterized by a shaded structure that attracts visitors to a darker area giving them a sense of curiosity upon entering. Once entering the public loop starts which is marked by a sense of surprise and mystery. The public loop breaks the boundaries between spaces and gives insight to visitor as they witness an untraditional experience where they see rehearsals and exhibitions from the same areas or find reading areas that overlook auditoriums.

Dim-lighted entrance directly set curious mood

The visitors will experience shock due to the unpredictable surprise of observing rehearsals and exhibition of two different masses at the same time, this will definitely shift his perspective


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zThe public loop sense of surprise is also enhanced through movement between areas of different scale and light intensity. Where courts suddenly appear that further express and show different layers of the buildings. The first court offers glimpses of the Yusuf Idris Foyer, Tawfiq Al Hakim Restaurant, Abd El Hadi Al Gazzar exhibition, and Fouad Kamel reading area. This multi-layered experience creates a dynamic emotion where you see more than one activity and that makes you spend more time in that space. During the walkthrough, the visitors have several things from people moving around inside the court, rehearsal rooms, exhibitions and foyers


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The public loop directs visitor to a large court where Yusuf Idris rehearsals, Saad Ardash Rehearsal and foyer, and most importantly Al Laila Al Kabira are seen. The Laila Al Kabira exhibition becomes a destination and target for the visitors as it is elevated. It arched entrance gives a joyful expression that attracts visitors to go on an adventur

Visitors finally reach the court which overlook rehearsals room, Saad Ardash exhibition, Salah Jahein’s exhibition and finally Al Laila Al Kabira’s theater which considered the most important destination inside the project, welcoming stairs invite the visitors to enter the theater through the exhibition, also they can sit and enjoy the enclosed festivity atmosphere.


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