"MAUADI" URBAN OASIS COMPETITION - CAIRO

MAUADI

MAADI URBAN OASIS

Adaptive Reuse. Cairo, Egypt

Hidden in Maadi, behind a broken wall and a rusted gate, lies a forgotten concrete shell a single-floor events building abandoned for years. Rather than erase it, we chose to listen to its silence and transform it into a slow urban catalyst: a third place to unwind, create, connect, and simply be. Our project reclaims the courtyard not as a nostalgic form, but as a spatial heart. This reimagined void blurs the boundary between inside and out, becoming a shaded, breezy social room that anchors the whole oasis. The building’s massive concrete shell is retained and punctuated. Openings are stretched, softened, reformed... a dialogue between the archways of the past and the voids of the present. A hybrid identity takes shape, built from what’s already there. The program reflects the layered rhythms of Maadi: a pool that slides between garden and structure; a cultural courtyard for gathering; a shared creative table and workshop; a quiet library to reflect and work; and a café where everything overlaps. Above, a rooftop terrace floats beneath the library’s shadow... a space open for invention. Mauadi is not an escape from the city. It is an escape within it—quiet, rooted, and alive.

WHY MAADI?

Maadi offers a unique balance between greenery, tranquility, and urban life. Known for its leafy streets, riverside views, and vibrant community, Maadi provides a setting where nature and city coexist. This environment allows the project to create a peaceful, restorative retreat while remaining connected to the cultural and social fabric of Cairo.

Existing Building

Ground and First floor plans

Egypt Urban Oasis Competition panel