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…
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…
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…
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…
ProgramsADVANCED INFORMALITY EXHIBITIONYear: 2017 Location: Institut français d’archéologie orientale – IFAO Clients and Partners: The French Institute, IFAO, Pro Helvetia, ETH Scope: Exhibition The ETH Zurich Master of Advanced Studies Program in Urban Design at the Chair of Marc Angélil and directed by Charlotte Malterre-Barthes initiated an investigation on informal settlements in Cairo in collaboration…
MappingAMMAN STAIRWAYSYear: 2017 Location: Amman, Jordan Client: Columbia University Scope: Mapping and Research Amman is a city characterized by its distinct topography–hills and valleys– through which it has evolved along cascading/climbing urban development. A hilltop-slope-valley cross section may offer a topological condition to understand not only Amman’s urban evolution, but its social, economic and cultural…
DesignALWANATYear: 2017 Location: Al-Minya, Egypt Client: Goethe Institut Scope: Research and Design Goethe Institut and Robert Bosch Stiftung have commissioned CLUSTER to develop a concept design proposal and cost assessment for the rooftop of Alwanat al-Minya. The building sits in a middle-class neighborhood, vibrant with street life and in close proximity (150m) with the Nile…