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egypt museum competition

Museum of the Ancient Nile International Competition

Submission: October 6, 2017
Registration: September 22, 2017
Language: English, Spanish
Location: Aswan, Egypt
Prizes: Please see details below
Type: Architecture Students & Young Architects

 

With more than 6,800 km, the Nile is the longest river in Africa and for centuries it was considered to be the longest in the world. Located in the north-eastern part of the continent, it crosses 11 countries and has two major tributaries: the White Nile, which originates in Uganda and Kenya, named for the chalky colour of the sediment in its waters; and the Blue Nile, which originates in Ethiopia and is the source of most of the water in the river.

The ancient Egyptians only settled on the final 1,300 km of the Nile, where it was possible to navigate the waters.

The majority of society in the Egypt of the pharaohs was made up of peasants who worked the fields and therefore their lives were conditioned by the flood cycles. They were able to cultivate wheat, barley and flax, and also obtain fish and papyrus thanks to the river, thereby obtaining enough food to for the entire population. With flax and wheat, Egypt was able to maintain good diplomatic relations with other countries, and so the river contributed to the economic and political stability of the country.

Without the Nile the ancient Egyptian empire would never have existed. The Egyptians were keenly aware of the great river’s importance, regarding it as the creator of the fertile lands on which they lived and even worshipped a god, named Hapi, who represented the Nile.

Because the sun set every evening in the West, symbolizing death, and was reborn every morning in the East, representing life and resurrection, the cities and towns were always built on the eastern shore of the Nile and the necropolises and funeral temples on the western shore.

The predominant building materials used in ancient Egypt were adobe, used in homes and monumental buildings, and limestone, reserved for tombs and temples. Our understanding of Egyptian architecture is mainly based on its religious monuments, massive structures with slightly sloping walls and few openings, a method of construction used to obtain stability in mud walls.

The annual Nile floods marked the rhythm of life of its inhabitants for millennia, until the construction of the great Aswan dam in 1970 eliminated the annual flood cycle for good.

After passing through Aswan the Nile begins to shrink as it continues its journey through dams toward Luxor, a region that contains the majority of the cultural and historical sites, including the most spectacular monuments in Egypt, many of which have been declared World Heritage sites by UNESCO. The section of the river between Aswan and Luxor is where the majority of tourism is concentrated, mostly on board cruise ships, with more than 300 floating hotels and thousands of tourists disembarking on its shores every day to visit the different monuments.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this competition for architecture students and young architects, Museum of the Ancient Nile (MoAN) Egypt, consists in conceiving of a museum that will submerge visitors in the ancient Nile and become an essential experience for tourists who wish to comprehend how Egyptian civilization proliferated.

Thanks to its privileged location, the proposed space will become an obligatory stop for people visiting the river, as a preamble to the history, mythology and monuments that the region contains. A global focal point for tourism that is capable of transmitting the importance of the ancient Nile for the history of Humanity.

PRIZES

The following prizes will be awarded to proposals that best meet the purpose of the competition:

1st Prize

3.750 euros + one year free subscription to El Croquis magazine + one year free subscription to AV Proyectos + one year free subscription to WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell magazine + Digital publication in Plataforma Arquitectura + Digital publication in Arquitectura Viva + Digital publication in WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell + Digital publication in The AAAA Magazine.

The winner or members of the winner team will take part of the Jury in the next architecture competition.

2nd Prize

1.500 euros + one year free subscription to El Croquis magazine + one year free subscription to AV Proyectos + one year free subscription to WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell magazine + Digital publication in Plataforma Arquitectura + Digital publication in Arquitectura Viva + Digital publication in WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell + Digital publication in The AAAA Magazine.

3rd Prize

625 euros + one year free subscription to El Croquis magazine + one year free subscription to AV Proyectos + one year free subscription to WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell magazine + Digital publication in Plataforma Arquitectura + Digital publication in Arquitectura Viva + Digital publication in WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell + Digital publication in The AAAA Magazine.

Arquideas Special Prize

The Arquideas Special Prize will be given, awarded with 500 euros, to the proposal with more votes from Arquideas Community users, among winners, honorable mentions and the finalist projects.

Honorable Mentions

Up to 5 Honorable Mentions will be given to the most interesting proposals in terms of architectural quality, and which have not received any of the first three prizes, and will be awarded with the following prize:

Digital publication in Plataforma Arquitectura + Digital publication in Arquitectura Viva + Digital publication in WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell + Digital publication in The AAAA Magazine.

REGISTRATION FEE

The registration period falls between May 24, 2017 and September 22, 2017.

Early registration: (from May 24, 2017 to June 30, 2017)

50 € individual registration
75 € team registration (from 2 to 4 members)

Regular registration: (from July 1, 2017 to September 22, 2017)

75 € individual registration
100 € team registration (from 2 to 4 members)

Go to the competition’s website