The Music of Ismailia

To address the city's fragmentation and restore its soul, new bred tectonics brings people together through the power of music and literature to create “The New Whole of Ismailia”. Inspired by the book Aunt Saffiya and the Monasterys’ theme of bringing together where the architecture plays the harmonious rhythms of “Simsimiya” instrument.

To create 'The New Whole', fragmented forces must transform through four key stages of vibrations. This intervention seeks to restore the soul of the city through the 'Simsimiya' instrument as a metaphor for future stories rather than a relic of the past. An innovative structure born from contrasting rhythms of wood and steel. The tectonic language is the main driver for crafting solutions on urban, experiential, and environmental levels.\r\nImagine a captivating structure where Cross Laminated Timber Arches rise from the ground to connect fragmented forces such as fishermen and the public or informal settlements and commercial streets. Rhythmic ribs extend from the arches, evoking the vibrations of 'Simsimiya' music. Rhythms then emerge with the technological music of the steel structures, creating the 'Tectonic Music of the New Whole'.\r\nMusical vibrations inspire an experiential journey in four vibration stages: Reminiscent, Echoing, Energizing, and Powerful vibrations. The first two stages translate into functional spaces such as workshops, markets, and co-creation spaces. They allow users to reminisce about traditional fishing crafts and music, while also creating in co-creation spaces. The Energizing states amplify into spaces that network with technology, such as the Music Hall, attracting younger generations through digital sound exhibitions. It serves as a pivotal state that transforms users from the reminiscent into the powerful states.\r\nThe final state of power serves as a transformative vibratory accumulation of the previous stages into the 'Music of Ismailia'. This state is embodied by the Theatre and Digital Art Hub, where motion, technology, and arts converge. The vibrations of wooden crafts and fishermen's hands can be felt throughout the building, culminating in a celebration of all hands coming together to create 'A New Whole'.\r\nListen to the music, reminiscent of crafts, echoing into arts where users levitate through the building, and energizing into power. Finally, ‘The New Whole’ is born, a place that unifies, listens, protects, and expresses the bringing together.