Ordering the land : urban metaphors for a park in Cairo

Abstract

This study proposes a method for the design of a contemporary urban park on the eastern edge of the Old City in Cairo. Precedents in park design are briefly explored with a focus on the relation of the park to the city. The urban fabric of the Old City is analyzed in detail to extract metaphors, models and principles that can serve to devise an ordering framework for the park. The design as it emerges is informed by two themes - the site as an urban quarter of the city and the park as palimpsest. The intention is to create a framework that will place the site securely in relation to its geographical locale and to its historic context.