Abu simbel Gate

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: THE PROCESS (AR715)

[ABU SIMBEL GATE]

[AHMED HESHAM 22125165]

SPRING 2023

The Abu Simbel Temple is considered one of the greatest ancient buildings in the world from an architectural point of view, due to its unprecedented historical value and unique architectural characteristics. Despite this great historical value and importance, visiting this temple was marred by some issues, whether for Egyptians or non-Egyptians, and the most important of them may be the isolation of the heritage environment from any services under the pretext of preserving the heritage and not influencing or harming it and the lack of awareness of the historical and cultural value and architecture of the temple. In addition to the presence of this temple at a distance of 290 km from the city of Aswan, taking into account the hot climate of the city of Aswan, it is necessary to have a service area for visitors. The difficulty of owning a building in this heritage context is that it does not affect the main building, which is a wicked problem, as either solution may have advantages and disadvantages.

The tourism aspect represents one of the most important sources of national income in general and for the Aswan Governorate in particular, due to the availability of job opportunities and the revival of the economy. The Abu Simbel Temple certainly represents a basic pillar in this episode because of the heritage value it represents, As the average visit to the Abu Simbel Temple reached nearly four thousand people on some days, according to the latest statistics (Ghanima, 2023). But it is strange that the same statistics also confirm that only two days, during which the sun is aligned to Ramses’ face, represent approximately 15% of the percentage of tourists during the year, which indicates that the solar alignment acquires the largest share of fame, but it also highlights the extent of the lack of awareness of the importance of the rest of the parts and the temple contents are the one that caused some problems, which are represented in the stagnation of the sales movement in the city of Abu Simbel in the rest of the year, and the obstacles continue, so they appear even on the most visited days in the presence of nearly 7000 tourists (Ghanima, 2023), which requires preparation and organization for entry, in addition to the presence of approximately 600 meters that are not shaded and it is necessary to walk. In it, even access to the temple is in climatic conditions that may be very hot most of the year, which makes finding a solution necessary, but this time through architectural solutions, taking into account the difficulty of having a modern building that competes with the temple, which increases the difficulty of design.

DESIGN QUESTION

The controversial question remains, why do our heritage environments remain as such: isolated without renovation or addition to keep up with the times and solve problems! Is it fear of impacting the surroundings of heritage? Or is it an escape from this Wicked problem? Will work to solve this problem have a positive impact? Or will it negatively affect the heritage site?

Scope

This proposal attempts to increased interest in the heritage surroundings of the Abu Simbel Temple through the presence of a preliminary building in which the historical details of the city of Aswan are displayed.

Limitation

According to the requirements of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, due to the presence of Abu Simbel Airport, it is required that there are no heights that exceed the permissible limit according to the distance from the airport.

High temperatures necessitate not having any of uncovered outdoor places.

The building must not rival the temple either in height or detail.

METHODOLOGY

The Design Thesis depends on more than one step as a methodology to find appropriate architectural solutions to the research problem, which can be summarized in three stages: the stage of identifying all design requirements, then the stage of proposing possible solutions for all design requirements, then the stage of evaluating different alternatives to design requirements according to the systematic design method of J Christopher Jones (Jones, 1984).

1. ANALYSIS

At this stage, different ideas and solutions are collected to solve the problem with complete freedom. Then we classify the solutions and ideas to determine which are most appropriate for the design process.

2. SYNTHESIS

At this stage, a comparison is made between the proposed solutions and ideas without excluding any idea in order to choose the best suitable ideas to solve the problem creatively.

3. EVALUATION

At this stage, the solutions will be tested and evaluated to determine their success through various methods, such as simulation programs and other different methods.

Figure1. The heritage surroundings of the Abu Simbel Temple in the past, before the transfer (usbpanasonic, 2020)

Figure2. showing the sun is aligned to Ramses’ face. (“Sun, tourists converge on Ramses II statue in Abu Simbel,” 2019)

Figure3. showing The heritage surroundings of the Abu Simbel Temple at the present (Mahallati, 2021)

THE DESIGN IS CONSIDERED WITHIN A SCOPE CONTAINING BUILDINGS OF HERITAGE VALUE THAT IMPOSES SPECIAL TREATMENT AND NEEDS TO ADHERE TO A SET OF STANDARDS IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE HERITAGE CHARACTER AND HISTORICAL VALUE FROM ANY MODERN INTERVENTIONS.

THE POSSIBILITY OF DEALING WITH THE DESIGN OF BUILDINGS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS IS SUMMARIZED IN HOMOGENEITY OR DIFFERENTIATION FROM THE HISTORICAL SURROUNDINGS, WHICH MAY EACH OF THEM HAVE A SET OF ADVANTAGES AS WELL AS DEFECTS, BUT WHAT IS AGREED UPON IN THIS CONTROVERSIAL MATTER IS THAT THE NEW DESIGN MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE HERITAGE SURROUNDINGS AND PRESERVE ITS ADVANTAGES AND NOT IGNORE IT OR CONFUSE IT OR ENTER INTO COMPETITION WITH IT. (EL-SHERBINY, 2020).

A. HARMONY WITH THE HERITAGE SURROUNDINGS

HARMONY WITH THE HISTORICAL SURROUNDINGS IS CONSIDERED LESS DANGEROUS AND MAY ACHIEVE MORE HARMONY WITH THE SITE, BUT THE DISADVANTAGE OF THIS APPROACH IS THAT IT SOMETIMES CAUSES A KIND OF BOREDOM AS A RESULT OF EXAGGERATING ADHERENCE TO HOMOGENEITY, WHICH MAY RESTRICT CREATIVITY AT THE DESIGN LEVEL AS WELL.

B. DIFFERENTIATION FROM THE HERITAGE SURROUNDING

DIFFERENTIATION FROM THE HISTORICAL ENVIRONMENT IS CONSIDERED A VERY DANGEROUS ENTRANCE, BECAUSE IT MAY CAUSE DISSONANCE WITH THE HERITAGE ENVIRONMENT AND MAY ENTER INTO CONFLICT WITH THE HISTORICAL BUILDING, WHICH IS AN UNEQUAL AND UNDESIRABLE CONFLICT. IT MAY THREATEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HERITAGE PLACE, BUT IT ALLOWS THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPRESSING THE SPIRIT OF THE ERA WITHOUT CONFUSING IT WITH THE HISTORICAL BUILDING. IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT ACHIEVES A KIND OF VISUAL DIVERSITY, GIVES THE DESIGNER GREATER FREEDOM IN CREATIVITY, AND MAY EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF BOTH CONTRAST AND DIFFERENCE.

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS [CARRÉ D’ART, FRANCE 01]

ARCHITECTS: NORMAN FOSTER

AREA: 20400M²

YEAR:1993

LOCATION: NIMES, FRANCE

It is a museum of visual arts and information technology near “Maison Carrée” a Roman temple, as shown in Figure 4.

The Carré d’Art Museum is located in front of the Maison Carrée Temple, just 50 meters away.

The designer worked to respect the heritage building, so he placed half the number of floors underground so that the modern building remains low in front of the temple and does not exceed it in height, as shown in Figure 5.

The straight, abstract lines of the temple dominated the design, but modern materials expressing the era such as glass and the use of thin columns were used to make the mass appear light compared to the temple, as shown in Figure 6.

Despite the strong objections to the design in the past, it succeeded in reviving the area after it had almost become neglected.

This example may be inspiring for two things: the first is to prove that it is possible for a modern building to have a strong addition and work to revive the building and the heritage surroundings instead of fear of negatively affecting it. The second thing is to be influenced by vocabulary from ancient architecture, but it is applied in a modern way and modern materials express the modern era, adding a powerful force through the expression of each building of the era in which it was built.

Figure4. showing The relationship between the site of the museum and the temple (“Google Earth,” n.d.)

Figure5. showing showing the section of the temple & museum (“Carré d’Art | Culture,” n.d.)

Figure6. showing The difference between a temple and a museum (“Carré d’Art | Culture,” n.d.)

[LE GRAND LOUVRE, FRANCE 02]

ARCHITECTS: I.M.PEI

YEAR:1989

LOCATION: PARIS, FRANCE

The pyramid shape in the middle of the outer courtyard represents a new entrance, separate from the galleries of the Louvre Museum.

The glass pyramid is located only about 125 M from the old museum, as shown in Figure 7.

Although there were many objections to its design at first due to its great difference from the basic design of the old museum, it achieved success as it is considered an independent entrance that expresses the spirit of the times and paves the way for entering the old museum. A museum with an underground floor as shown in Figure 8.

The design of the glass pyramid has now become an important part of the most famous and important landmarks of France, linked to the culture of the city of Paris, after it was criticized as some feared that it would conflict with the classical architecture of the old part of the museum.

This example is considered inspiring in a great way, as it provides a strong example of the difference from the building and the heritage surroundings, which received many criticisms at the beginning, but it has now become a very important part of the identity of the heritage building and has become a shrine in itself, despite the greatly different composition. It also provides a solution to one of the problems The basic research is to find a clear and distinctive entrance to the museum.

[UC INNOVATION CENTER – ANACLETO ANGELINI, CHILE 03]

ARCHITECTS: ALEJANDRO ARAVENA

AREA: 8176M²

YEAR:2017

LOCATION: SANTIAGO, CHILE

IT IS AN INNOVATION CENTER IN CHILE THAT WAS DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT SUITS THE HOT WEATHER Centro de Innovación UC is located in the dry climate of Chile, as shown in Figure 9.

THE DESIGN IDEA DEPENDS MAINLY ON THE ABSENCE OF LARGE OPENINGS ON THE EXTERNAL FAÇADE DUE TO THE HOT WEATHER. AND RELYING ON THE PRESENCE OF THE LARGEST NUMBER OF OPENINGS INTERNALLY WITH THE PRESENCE OF AN INTERNAL COURT TO REDUCE THE HEAT GAINED IN THIS HOT WEATHER THIS IDEA CONTRIBUTED TO SAVING A LARGE AMOUNT OF ENERGY ANNUALLY FROM 120 KW/M2 TO 45 KW/M2 THE SOLUTIONS IN THIS BUILDING CAN REPRESENT SOME GUIDELINES THAT MAY HELP IN DEALING WITH HOT ENVIRONMENTS, SUCH AS ASWAN. THE IDEA OF HAVING A COURTYARD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUILDING TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF EXTERNAL OPENINGS MAY BE ONE OF THE BEST SOLUTIONS FOR DEALING WITH HOT ENVIRONMENTS, IN ADDITION TO BEING HELPFUL IN DESIGNING SIMPLE FACADES.

Figure7. showing Le Grand louvre location (“Google Earth,” n.d.)

Figure8. showing the new entrance to the museum (“Le Grand Louvre Paris by I.M. Pei,” n.d.)

Figure9. showing Centro De innovation UC location (“Google Earth,” n.d.)

[NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM, ATHENA 04]

ARCHITECTS: BERNARD TSCHUMI ARCHITECTS

YEAR: 2009

LOCATION: ATHENS, GREECE

The Acropolis Museum, near the Parthenon Temple in Athens, shows the story of life on the Athenian Acropolis.

The new acropolis museum is located about 300 meters from the Parthenon, with an exhibition area of 8,000 square meters as shown in figure 10.

The designer relied on abstraction in his design by using the same rectangular proportions from the Parthenon Temple and with the same angles, but through a modern style while respecting the existence of a heritage and historical value and not trying to ignore it or draw attention to it, but rather emphasizing its value and importance through the use of proportions and angles as shown in figure 11.

The designer worked to link the flow in the museum with the history of the flow in ancient Athens to create a different architectural experience for visitors that simulates the history of the Acropolis, as shown in Figure 12.

SUMMARY OF ANALYSIS

The analyzed set of examples provides different ways to deal with similar projects, whether by dealing with the heritage surroundings and how to build in it, or by dealing with buildings in hot areas.

The previous analysis of the examples can be summarized in the following points:

A building can be presented with modern building materials expressing the era, but it is possible to quote a set of architectural features of the ancient era to provide a unique architectural experience.

The modern building can add a lot to the historical surroundings through difference, but not be a competitor to it in size and distinction.

The presence of a modern building as a distinctive entrance to the historical surroundings, even if it is somewhat different from it, can become a point of strength for the heritage surroundings.

The presence of the inner courtyard greatly helps to reduce the temperature gained in the external facades because there are no large external openings, in addition to the possibility of simplifying the facades further.

The spatial experience inside the building can be distinguished, taken from a historical period, and positively affected.

Figure 10. showing the acropolis museum and parthenon temple location (“Google Earth,” n.d.)

Figure 11. showing relation between acropolis museum and parthenon temple (“New Acropolis Museum / Bernard Tschumi Architects,” 2010)

Figure 12.showing the history of the flow in the ancient Athens (“New Acropolis Museum / Bernard Tschumi Architects,” 2010)

DESIGN PROPOSAL

SITE

According to all the above, I chose this site, shown in Figure 1, and the selection of two separate plots of land to serve as a gateway to Abu Simbel Temple, whether from the mainland or the Nile.

Figure 13 shows the large path that the visitor must take to reach the temple, which is more than 450 meters and is not shaded.

It is distinguished in the specified land that it does not have a large difference in heights, as shown in Figure 14.

The total area of the specified site is estimated at about 30 square meters.

It is distinguished in the specified land that it does not have a large difference in heights, as shown in Figure 15.

Figure13. showing the large path to reach the temple,Adapted from (“EZ Map - Google Maps Made Easy,” n.d.)

Figure14. showing the site selected, Adapted from:(“EZ Map - Google Maps Made Easy,” n.d.)

Figure15. showing the site topography (“Verge Permaculture Contour Map Regenerative Land Design Mapping Tool,” n.d.)

In the beginning, and according to all that was put forward, there are two ways to deal with the design problem at hand, whether by homogeneity or differentiation from the surroundings, and according to the methodology specified for the design process, no idea was excluded, and all ideas were put forward without excluding any of them at the beginning, and then working on choosing the best of them according to the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.

The idea depends on the existence of the transition through different stages, each of which expresses one of the historical periods of Aswan, starting from the most recent and simulating the modern era, passing through the Islamic era, then the Coptic, and ending with the Pharaonic era, taking advantage of the existence of the Abu Simbel Temple, expressing this period as a final stage, as shown in Figure 16. the difficulty lies in finding a contrasting design and not to clash with the temple, to be an expression of the spirit of the times, and to achieve a kind of visual diversity, taking into account the harsh and extremely hot weather in design.

So, I present this proposed idea that tries to create a design in which there is so much simplicity that it does not compete with the temple, while creating an inner courtyard and having the largest number of openings in this courtyard and minimizing the outside Openings as far as possible to reduce heat gain and not to conflict with the local character and not to distract focus from the temple.

Through bonding as a keyword and after searching for a common element in the different time periods characteristic of the city of Aswan and linking it to an environmental element, I thought about the courtyard in its different shape and details during each distinct time period.

The development of the courtyard during the historical periods represents the difference in the spatial experience of the visitor, starting from the courtyard in the modern era, passing through the courtyard in the Islamic and Coptic eras, and ending with the courtyard in the Pharaonic era, and the exploitation of the courtyard because it is suitable for Aswan from an environmental side, in addition to helping to reduce the external openings so that the focus does not diverge from the temple and to form simple facades, as shown in Figure 17

FIGURE 18 SHOW THE DISTINCTIVE SPATIAL EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE SEQUENCE OF MOVEMENT IN A PATH LINKED TO THE HISTORICAL ARRANGEMENT OF EACH HISTORICAL ERA, AS WELL AS THE SIMPLICITY OF THE FACADES AND THE CONFIGURATION SO AS NOT TO AFFECT THE TEMPLE.

THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SPATIAL EXPERIENCE DURING THE PATH OF THE VISITOR’S MOVEMENT, ACCORDING TO THE DIFFERENCE IN THE HISTORICAL PERIOD, SUCH AS A CHANGE IN THE PROPORTIONS OF THE COURTYARD AND SOME ELEMENTS THAT EXPRESS EACH HISTORICAL PERIOD.

AND TO SHOW THE INFLUENCE OF THE TEMPLE ON THE NEW BUILDING IN ITS FORMATION, THE BUILDING SEEMED TO BE ATTRACTED TO THE TEMPLE FROM ONE POINT, AND ANY BUILDING WOULD BE DISTORTED AND INCOMPLETE BECAUSE IT IS NEXT TO THE TEMPLE, WHICH WILL ALWAYS BE THE MOST IMPORTANT.

Figure 16.Showing The sequence of movement inside the site, up to the temple.

Figure17. showing The courtyard evolved during the different historical periods in Aswan.

A map for the site showing The distinctive spatial experience inside the different buildings.

Main (Nile) Elevation 1:800

Section (A-A) 1:800

The figure shows the relationship of the new building with the temple in the part overlooking the Nile.

Section (B-B) 1:800

The figure shows the path between the different blocks, the entrance to the modern building, and the treatment used in the landscape.

South-eastern Elevation 1:800

CONCLUSION

The development of the surroundings of heritage buildings is one of the most important and thorny issues that must be developed by all possible means, and we must be the pioneers of thinking in this matter, especially since we are the owners of the largest share of heritage sites in the world, and yet we find that most of the observed development In the vicinity of heritage buildings, not in our societies, examples and a literature review showed different ways to deal with this wicked problem and that it is not necessary to imitate and reproduce, and this is what was worked on during the proposed design that tries to present a new content and essence that enriches one of the most important ancient Egyptian monuments through A building that reflects the current era and presents a new thought to highlight the difference without affecting the heritage building (Abu Simbel) in an attempt to deal with this wicked problem or the question raised at the beginning, which is what this proposed design was aiming for,

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