- area:
300㎡
Year:
2024
-
Lead architect:
Waleed Arafa
Textual description provided by the architect. We all know that Cairo Citadel has been the center of political power in Egypt since it was founded by Salah al-Din in the 12th century and has hosted every ruler since then. The Ayyubids, Mamluks, Ottomans, and the family of Muhammad Ali Pasha all ruled from this citadel until the seat of power moved to Abdin Palace during the time of Khedive Ismail. But only a few people know that the Citadel was a seat of design power. Although its political power is now firmly in decline, its status as a seat of transcendent design power remains clear, both figuratively and literally.
In addition to all its innovations and wonders of military engineering, including its various towers, ramparts, gates, fortifications, and amazing aqueducts, the Citadel was, and still is, home to many civilian architectural typologies and iconic design styles. exists. Mosques, palaces, royal houses, and iwans such as the Great Iwan and Al-Ashraf Khalil Palace, to name a few, such as the Mosques of Al-Nasir Mohammed, Suleiman Pasha Al-Qadim, and Mohammed Ali Pasha. Also included. – Qasr al-Abraq, al-Jawara Palace, and the Palace of Justice represent a formidable chronology of Khaire architecture.
The influence on the design of objects produced within and by the Citadel was not limited to architecture alone. Many more designs were exhibited and created within the grounds of these architectural wonders. Sculptures and graphics have all spread into the world of design, as early as the rank of Salah al-Din, the lion statuette of Baybars, and graphics appearing on coins produced at the Citadel mint and Dar al-Darb. and inspired design contributions. This is not an exaggeration. Especially when you know that the Kiswah, the cover of the Kabaa that has been revered, viewed and often kept by millions of Muslim pilgrims over the years, was produced at the Citadel.
GEMMA wants to highlight this amazing history and influence on Cairo design during Cairo Design Week. Our proposal aims to celebrate the DNA, the continuum that pervades all these design layers and achievements that the Citadel of Cairo has formed today, using the outstanding products of GEMMA. DAA’s design responded to GEMMA’s wishes by celebrating the basic working line geometries, but these geometries are overshadowed by more obvious layers of the typological and stylistic final design product. Although often overlooked and hidden, it is also a celebration of all the wonders that were once lost and destroyed. It existed in the Citadel.
The Citadel of Cairo: The seat of design power is a phantom Iwan that belongs to and connects the past, present and future, dancing simultaneously between the material and immaterial worlds.