RAMSES SQUARE COMPETITION, EGYPT
With BKVV, Amsterdam
2009
Appeasing, reinvigorating, and uplifting a historic, vital, yet ungoverned and bustling city center
This project is a proposal submitted for an international competition launched by the Cairo Directorate to revitalize, remodel and solve transportation on one of the busiest intersections in Cairo. Host of several landmarks and a former location for the statue of the pharaoh Ramses, the area is also of great importance in the city intermodal traffic exchange. The Barb El Hadid train station, the El Fateh Mosque, the Lymoun tram station, and the Everest hotel are among the heritage buildings present in the area. Because traffic congestion was the utmost and troublesome issue, in a place where flyovers, in-ground roads, pedestrians crossings all display a hectic scene, this proposal took the task of rethinking the traffic on a larger scale, as a starting point for reimagining Ramses Square as a green beacon of urbanity, and its burstling life, toward a sustainable urban future.
Thus, the project proposed completing the interrupted outer highway system as a city ring on a larger urban scale, integrating a new inner-city road ring with direct connections to the city center.
Another planning feature was introducing an electrical surface public transport, a metro line to complete the underground one, for public transportation. The overall goal was to fluidify the flow of modal transportation means, and to bring quietness, greenery, order, and a more pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, which will act as a stepping stone for the upheaval of a new urban vision, greener, healthier, and sustainable: The new Cairo's Ramses Park.
The project details the new traffic strategy with precision, from the pedestrianization of the area, up to the inter-urban highways connectivity.
A new Intermodal transportation system enhances the feasibility of a greener city center, with projected future developments and strategy that envisions new typologies of buildings and transforms the existent through news guidelines for future construction.
The driving theme for the project beyond a better traffic system for central Cairo is building an urban Park, Ramses Park.
Ramses Park becomes the green heart of Cairo.
A sustainable city needs green. Located at the base of the Nile delta, Cairo has good soil for building parks. Stemming from the existing landmarks around a scenery where the old train station takes a central place, we replace part of the existing highway flyover, redirecting the traffic underground. At the same time, the remaining elevated road turned into an elevated promenade into the Park.
The main feature highlighting the Park on an urban scale will be a 70-meters high panorama tower. This tower will add to the existing urban landmarks and became an attraction while permitting higher sightseeing to the urban horizon, up to the pyramids.
The ensemble of buildings and functions has a harmonious look and feel. The Park itself has different zones; close to the Ramses Station, it is a city park with elegant paving; further, more to the east, it becomes more natural; the grass and trees take over the role of the paving. At the rear of the Railway station, there will be a drop-off and pick-up for travelers. Cars, taxis, and minibusses will have multi-level parking.
An organized flow of circulations will separate Pedestrians, cars, trucks, and public transportation on elevated platforms and dedicated flyovers.
On top of this junction, there is the Ramses Roundabout building. An impressive building, a hub for commercial and other businesses taking advantage of the intermodality of this place and the intensive motorized and foot traffic. A place of intensive exchange, an urban heart bit.
The Ramses Park landscape design stems from patterned hardscape and soft scape, forming randomized clusters of planted areas. Each one contains grass fields, planting borders, paving, tree groups, or water ponds. These clusters vary in dimensions, height, and topography. They have, at some places, even a built program.
The pattern is composed of a mix of paved and grassy elements. The former is predominant around the station; alternatively, the farther eastbound, the latter becomes dominant, up to a much greener planted Park.
The landscape design concept within the Park is inspired by the 'Cairo tile,' in combination with a collection of water elements enclosed within dense tree planting.
Forming parts of the pattern with green, water, and paving formal and informal routes will be created. When walking through the Park, one can choose one path. Across fields of greenery and cluster with water basins, there are formally defined pathways that emerge. The difference between the hardscape pattern filings and softscape ones is natural stone paving. The water elements function as an irrigation basin and have plants like water lilies (Nymphaea lotus L.) and Papyrus cane (Cyperus papyrus L.). The dense parts contain a variety of smaller tree species like fig (Ficus carica L.), mulberry fig (Ficus sycomorus L.), mulberry (Morus nigra), almond (Prunis Dulcis), and olive (Olea europaea L.).
Fruit trees cover the water edge in shadow, enclosing the water elements to prevent the water surface from vaporizing in the open heat of the sun, and meanwhile, form an interpretation of the classic oasis. They become a habitat for a variety of birds. The planting is based on endemic trees and plants species.
Such as the Papyrus and Nymphaea have a long cultural history. The cohesion of enclosed water and a lively combination of trees, is contrasted by the large open spaces of hardscape with large grass fields. These open spaces have areas with canopy in it.
Tourists and locals can join in the Park for shopping, pleasure, relaxation. In that sense, part of the 6th of October Bridgeroad loses its original function, but partly remains in place and will have a guiding role in the new Ramses Park. Underneath it, it gives shelter for the sun, and on top of it, will be a commercial layer of the Park. It will become an elevated beacon for all kinds of formal and
informal activities. Various activities will take place on and around the panorama tower, the elevated promenade, and the multitude of lawns, hardscapes, piazzas, and sitting areas.
As a whole, the Park is a perfect venue for community gatherings, celebrations, and formal and informal commerce (street shoe cleaning, newspaper vending, or food trucks, etc.)
It is easy to imagine people shopping at boutiques or by the streets shops on the way to the train station, having ice cream, tea, or dining at the Bridgeroad restaurants, or picnicking with family and friends on the great lawn, as everyday activities.
The Park will be an ideal venue, for instance, for the yearly Shem el Nassim festival, an open-air theatre with the possibility to watch a soap series on a big screen. Also, a place to meet, to shelter from the heat and refresh by the pond, pray, or rest under a palm tree, watch the city roar by, or nap contemplating the sky.
The new Ramses Park is a realm for an already bustling urbanity.
