NILAB. Nile as Laboratory

Abstract

The Ministry of Culture pays great attention to participating in important International Forums, to highlight the civilized image of Egypt, its Ancient Culture and Arts. The Venice Biennale is one of the most important gateways overlooking the International Cultural scene, and the Architecture Biennale is a predominant opportunity to display Egyptians’ creativity, ideas, new and innovative Architectural visions. Egypt has a great influence in this international event for many years, as it is the only Arab and African country that has a pavilion in the Biennale, which indicates early awareness of the importance of participating in international events, overlooking Global occasions, and exposure to various experiences that would develop Egyptian Architectural thought. The participation of this year revolves around the Nile, which is considered the lifeblood of Egypt, and it deserves to be dealt with in a way that works on extensive scientific research for ways to benefit from its excessive data and information. All Thanks to the National Organization for Urban Harmony for its e orts for honorable participation of the worthy position of Egypt and the ancient history of its Architecture. And sincere wishes to the participating work team for success in presenting a meaningful and innovative visual vision. INFRAESTRUCTURE The Nile is the reason for the birth of the Egyptian urban system, from the vast metropolis of Cairo to the small towns along its banks. Natural and artificial canals have facilitated the urbanization of the territory, starting from the Pyramids of Giza up to the present day. The river itself has represented the crucial infrastructure that has favored and still favors transport, commerce, tourism, and internal trade. Above all, port infrastructures represent important nodes for trade, not only domestically, but also internationally, starting from the Mediterranean countries. NiLab focuses on three key sites: HIGH DAM, EL QANATER EL KHAYREYA and MAGRA ELOUYON AQUEDUCTS, which have always been significant infrastructures along the Nile. These infrastructures have shaped and reshaped landscapes over time, generating fragments and residues, that represent an opportunity for design reaction. These main infrastructures provide an opportunity to rethink and reinterpret the relationship between architecture, city, and landscape on the banks of the Nile. The reaction is on how to regenerate, reuse and recover the quality of urban life through a new vision of the fragile landscapes associated with these sites. MAGRA EL OUYON The project for the Magra El Ouyon area proposes a new hybrid infrastructure that enhances the ancient aqueduct by offering new public spaces to a city that is drastically devoid of them. At the same time, it attempts to answer to major environmental emergencies that Cairo has been facing today (the ever more urgent shortage of water, air and water pollution and the energy crisis) and wants to be an asset for intervention at a city’s morphological and socio-spatial level.