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International architecture firm Foster + Partners has begun construction on the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre Cairo, a new 300-bed hospital that aims to provide free state-of-the-art treatment for local and international patients. The hospital was founded by a surgeon named Sir Magdi... View full entry
A $1 billion museum complex situated on the Giza plain overlooking the Great Pyramids is nearing completion in Egypt after a nearly decade-long delay. The massive structure, initially planned by Irish firm Heneghan Peng Architects, is being completed now, The Art Newspaper reports, under the... View full entry
A stunning 3D virtual tour from the Egyptian Tourism Authority takes viewers deep into the heavily detailed tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses VI. Named Tomb KV9, the underground structure has a long corridor leading down to the now-broken sarcophagus, and both walls and the ceiling are inscribed with writings from ancient Egyptian texts and astronomical renderings. — Colossal
If you're ready for some archaeological adventure but find yourself pandemic-trapped at home and unable to make it to Egypt's ancient Valley of the Kings right now, try the virtual tomb tour of Pharaoh Ramses VI who reigned in the 12th century BC. Take a look at some screenshots of the ruler's... View full entry
A trio of mid-rise residential towers proposed by Italian firm Stefano Boeri Architetti could help clean the air in Egypt's new administrative capital city, while also providing affordable housing for that city's residents. Of the verdant towers, dubbed "Africa's first vertical forest" by... View full entry
Shortly after the invention of photography, there was architecture photography. Generous natural lighting, a range of scalable details and a pride of place made architecture a primary subject in the understanding of photographic technology during the first half of the 19th century. Paris'... View full entry
The foundations for what could become Africa’s tallest building, a 390 metre tall tower in Egypt's new administrative capital, will be poured within days, according to the country's prime minister.
"Iconic Tower" is one of several Dubai-style mega projects being built in Egypt’s new administrative capital 45 kilometres east of Cairo. It is hoped that when completed it will stand as the tallest building in Africa [...].
— The National
The title of tallest building in Africa has not been successfully challenged since the 732-ft Carlton Centre opened in Johannesburg in 1973. Other African nations have vowed to bring home the crown with new tall buildings proposed or underway, like the 820-ft Bank of Africa Tower in Morocco, the... View full entry
The mystery of how, exactly, the pyramids were built may have come a step closer to being unravelled after a team of archaeologists made a chance discovery in an ancient Egyptian quarry.
Scientists researching ancient inscriptions happened upon a ramp with stairways and a series of what they believe to be postholes, which suggest that the job of hauling into place the huge blocks of stone used to build the monuments may have been completed more quickly than previously thought.
— The Guardian
The theory of ancient Egyptians using ramps to move the enormous stone blocks to build the Great Pyramids of Giza some 4,500 years ago has been around for a while, but this new discovery suggests the possibility of a significantly steeper ramp angle and shorter construction period than commonly... View full entry
Idia Designs, an architectural design firm, has revealed some preliminary details on the chosen design of its New Administrative Capital’s landmark, the “Oblisco Capitale Tower,” which is deemed to surpass Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in stature, Invest-Gate reports.
“It is still a concept,” according to the company’s statement. However, some photos and videos were released, showcasing the tower’s features.
Idia notes that state-run El Nasr Housing and Development is the project’s developer.
— Invest-Gate
Not many specifics are known so far about the obelisk-shaped megatall tower concept Oblisco Capitale Tower by Cairo/Dubai-based firm IDIA.Design, but the promotional material hints at a structure taller than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, currently the world's tallest building. View this post on... View full entry
Archaeologists believe they have found the key to unlocking a mystery almost as old as the Great Pyramid itself: Who built the structure and how were they able to transport two-ton blocks of stone to the ancient wonder more than 4,500 years ago? — Newsweek
The pyramid's stones were known to have been transported from over 500 miles away but archeologists did not agree on how ancient Egyptians achieved it . Recent discoveries suggest that the stones were transported using boats and a network of waterways leading to the site of the pyramid in Giza. View full entry
Incidents like these take place relatively frequently in Egypt where building regulations are often flouted and additional floors added without planning permission. — Daily Mail
The building's failure is attributed to a weak foundation caused by its excessive height. Issued a removal order in 2002, just two years after its construction, the building was occupied up until last Wednesday when it leaned on its neighbor across the street. Its much overdue demolition began... View full entry
In a stunning move, seven Muslim countries—Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Yemen, and the Maldives—have severed ties to Qatar, a small nation of about 2.7 million people on the north-east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The crisis underscores the deep divisions... View full entry
How will China's $36.1 billion dollar investment shape the future of Africa? While China only has 66 projects over the continent compared to the United States' 91 projects, it has pledged about ten times the total amount of money, and the lion's share of that cash is earmarked for Egypt. As Global... View full entry
Archeaologists have discovered what appears to be the first attempt at a smooth-sided pyramid in Egypt. The pyramid is estimated to be 3,700 years old (about 200 years older than Giza), and although no elaborately-outfitted burial chambers have been found yet, the team is still excavating in an... View full entry
The villas are naked concrete, baked in the sun like unpainted pottery. The swimming pool is a trough with light fixtures poking from the sides. There are no guests, many stray dogs, and one-full time member of staff—a watchman who spends much of his time tending a fruit orchard where mangoes, oranges and lemons grow.
If this were an isolated case, it would be mere misfortune. But the Seagull is just one ruin among dozens that line some 200 km of road on the southeastern Sinai coast.
— Quartz
"These ghost hotels are a product of the collapse of Egypt’s tourism industry after the revolution of 2011 and the political turmoil and terrorist attacks that followed."For more news from Egypt, check out these links:Giant "calligraffiti" mural unites community in Cairo slumDoes Foster +... View full entry
Amid Cairo's brick buildings and heaping piles of trash is a sprawling work of art, which, at first, looks messy and incoherent.
But when you stand on the nearby hillside and read the spray-painted Arabic "calligraffiti," as its creator Tunisian-French artist eL Seed calls it, the message reads loud and clear: "If one wants to see the light of the sun, he must wipe his eyes."
[...] in total secrecy from the Egyptian government due to the country's strict laws forbidding artistic expression.
— techinsider.io
All images by the artist, eL Seed. For more images click here.More Cairo-related stories in the Archinect news:Does Foster + Partner's Maspero District masterplan neglect the local residents?Egypt's challenges to build its new capital cityEgypt’s street artists now risk even more View full entry
