Alexandria

Zyiad El Sayed,
Engineering department at University of Alexandria

Alexandria is one of Egypt’s oldest cities. Created in 332 BC by Alexander the Great, vibrating capital of Egypt and major Mediterranean harbor, Alexandria became a turning point for industry and trade in Egypt’s modern history. During the reign of reformer Méhémet Ali (1804-1849), through a modernist dynamic, a wave of European migration introduced western architecture in Egypt. The cosmopolitan, rich and unique architectural mixes of Alexandria turn it into a real heritage of several eras.
Today, this architectural heritage is fading away. Abandoned, damaged, voluntarily deteriorated or destroyed by the owners, the buildings heritage-listed on a national, communal or local level portray nowadays a major cultural issue.

The 144/2006 legislation allowed for the creation of two committees in charge of identifying all of Alexandria’s buildings which have a “remarkable architectural style”, that are “linked to a national event or a historical figure”, illustrating “a historical period” or finally showcasing “an interest in terms of tourism”.
Thus, 1135 buildings in downtown Alexandria have been classified as national, municipal or local heritage, and are therefore prohibited from demolition. This measure, taken vertically, was not welcomed by the owners of classified buildings. Today, out of the 1135 buildings listed, more than 1000 are at risk of being downgraded to appeal. Weaknesses in Law 144/2006 as well as profound divergences between public policies and private owners endanger the city’s architectural heritage. According to the Save Alex Association, 36 historic buildings have been demolished since 2011, either illegally or after being downgraded, such as the Villa Aghion, built in 1926 by the famous architect Auguste Perret and 80% destroyed before being recovered by the Egyptian Government by expropriation.

Laws regulating the relationship between owners and tenants also accelerate the degradation process of classified buildings. Prohibition of eviction, rent freezes, leases transferable to subsequent generations, deprive private owners of the opportunity to maximize the profits of their real estate. There are cases of voluntary deterioration and destruction of buildings in order to remove tenants, downgrade them, or authorize their demolition for eminent peril. Added to this is a major real estate speculation, an uncontrolled expansion of the city, a lack of political will and a general lack of interest in this modern heritage in favour of a more attractive ancient heritage for tourists.

There is therefore an urgent need to put in place a sustainable built heritage management plan in Alexandria in which private sector owners and their economic interests are taken into account. Indeed, the economic situation following the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, sets aside the possibility that the public sector may acquire and preserve these buildings. Thus, it is essential to create levers to ensure that the restoration and conservation of this heritage is as economically viable as the sale of a building plot, and in this way to ease the existing tensions between the need to preserve the architectural heritage and private owners of listed buildings.

Adaptive reuse is the suggested strategy for promoting such buildings.

The project has two main distinct objectives:

• Present the concept of adaptive reuse as a leading example and a successful business model that can be implemented in most classified heritage buildings.
• Choose a pilot street to restore building facades, improve urban design and urban landscape elements

To achieve these objectives, the project will work on two parallel tracks.

Fouad Street, approximately 1.4 km long, will be chosen to begin restoration work on the building’s facades and the installation of facade lighting. The street will be studied in depth with the adjacent and surrounding fabric to create a complete urban plan. The selected public buildings will be the subject of pilot studies and will be renovated and reused in an adaptive way to demonstrate the full extent and capacity of reuse.
Various renovation techniques will be applied, ranging from preserving the facade and demolishing the internal structure and constructing a new building inside, to traditional reuse of the reconfiguration of the space. Old and abandoned industrial buildings and commercial warehouses can be transformed into cultural centres and art spaces, as well as into common workspaces and small profit-making industrial parks.

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