The main focus of this project is to explore how architecture might address the issue of history in contemporary design. This project will be structured a round a critical regionalism theory which could be summarized by evoking Kenneth Ferampton’s phrase “Think globally, act locally.” In Siwa, one of the most beautiful oasis in Egypt. It located in the western desert, nearly 50 km of the Libyan border and 560 km from Cairo. The project site will be located close to the old city that is considered a nucleus of siwa. However Siwa has an amazing mixture of history and culture because it was a hub of all desert trips, nowadays it faces a massive amount of deterioration because of the absence of legislation and lack of knowledge by siwan people regarding the importance of their heritage. So there is a need to establish a cultural center that would play an important role in reviving such a great heritage. By my design I am looking forward to Serve the siwa community, draw tourists to siwa to better understand its rich history, offer educational and training programs for siwa residents to assist them in obtaining the skills to be economically self-sufficient. MY big challenge in this design is to Create a contemporary architecture that invokes the past, but speaks to the future.

2017

Ahmed Abdelghany