PublicationsCREATIVE INITIATIVES: ECONOMIC IMPACT ON DOWNTOWN CAIROYear: 2018 This Creative Initiatives Toolkit offers stakeholders and researchers alike a guide to measuring the economic impact of the independent arts and culture sector as a segment of the creative sector on a district, in this study, downtown Cairo. Through an economic impact assessment of the arts on…
PublicationsCAIRO DESERT CITIESYear: 2018 Presented since 1950 as the solution to all urban problems, new cities have flourished in the deserts around Cairo. Colossal amounts of money and resources have been spent in the name of a modern Egypt, all of which have yet to show success. Instigated by the Master of Advanced Studies in…
Digital PlatformsAMMAN STAIRWAYSYear: 2018 The Amman Stairways Mapping Project builds upon on earlier archives and databases developed by local art, architecture and urban communities in Amman, as well as research practices developed by CLUSTER in collaboration with the Center for Spatial Research (CSR) and Studio-X Amman at the Columbia Global Centers | Amman. The project…
ResearchWatch Video FORMAL-INFORMAL INTERFACE: FOUR AFRICAN CITIESYear: 2018 Location: Cairo, Dar es Salaam, Lusaka, Ouagadougu Client: AURI Scope: Research The second phase of the project ‘Formal-Informal Interface’ was developed comparatively between four African cities: Cairo, Dar es Salaam, Lusaka and Ouagadougou, engaging the formal-informal interface with four themes: mobility, water infrastructure, food chain and housing…
DesignSTREET STORYYear: 2018 Location: Downtown, Cairo Client: National Organization for Urban Harmony Scope: Research and Design The National Organization for Urban Harmony (NOUH) commissioned CLUSTER to develop a concept design proposal for the Downtown street signage project. The project aims to highlight how the streets, together with the urban fabric of Downtown Cairo, have evolved…
Digital PlatformsCREATIVE URBAN INITIATIVES PLATFORM (CUIP) AMMANYear: 2018 CUIP is a community based, user- generated interactive map, directory, and a shared calendar of events for art, culture, architecture, advocacy, urban development and interdisciplinary initiatives and organizations. Launched in 2013 by CLUSTER in Cairo, CUIP is a directory and calendar of emerging initiatives focusing on the…
ProgramsARD AL-LIWA HOMES EXHIBITIONYear: 2017 Location: Artellewa Clients and Partners: Artellewa, Pro Helvetia, ETH Scope: Exhibition After investigating the architecture of informal settlements, the ETH Zurich Master of Advanced Studies Program in Urban Design at the Chair of Marc Angélil and directed by Charlotte Malterre-Barthes in collaboration with local partner CLUSTER, proposed new designs for…
ResearchWatch Video FORMAL-INFORMAL INTERFACE: THREE EGYPTIAN CITIESYear: 2017 Location: Downtown, Cairo Client: AURI Scope: Research This study engages in a comparative analysis of three cities in Egypt, as a lens to explore the formal/informal interface at several scales within the context of a centralized Egyptian state. It utilizes both CLUSTER’s prior extensive research and capacity…
DesignCINEMA RIOYear: 2017 Location: Downtown, Cairo Client: Zawya Scope: Research and Design The importance of Rio Cinema lies within the opportunity it poses as one of the few outdoor venues in the heart of Cairo. The project is intended to renovate Bab al-Luk’s Rio Cinema with the aim of turning it into a space that…
PublicationsALEXANDRIA WALKING TOURYear: 2017 Alexandria contains some of Egypt’s finest examples of architectural and urban heritage. One of the first cities in Egypt to experience modernization, beginning in the early 19th century, Alexandria’s booming economy, cosmopolitan culture and diverse historical layers have all contributed to a robust Downtown. Over the past few decades, downtown Alexandria…