Interactive Historical Narrative Hub

Alexandria University - Faculty of Fine Arts

Project idea

Every community holds an untold story, deeply rooted in its landscape but often isolated from modern development. Inspired by the raw beauty of Marsa Matrouh and the urgent need to preserve and celebrate its authentic identity, "Hekayat" is a formal declaration of architecture serving human potential. The core inspiration behind this interactive narrative stems from an 'Ego vs. Nature' philosophy—moving away from intrusive structures to design a sustainable ecosystem that seamlessly integrates with the natural landscape. The primary objective of this project is to empower the local community, bridging the gap between local heritage and global visitors. By establishing this interactive cultural hub, the project aims to create a vibrant space for people to meet, celebrate local crafts, and foster an inclusive economy that sustainably drives Marsa Matrouh into the future.

Project description

The project proposes a comprehensive interactive museum and community empowerment hub called Hekayat, located along a unique Mediterranean coastal site in Marsa Matrouh. The design incorporates multiple programmatic zones seamlessly integrated to balance cultural preservation with active socioeconomic growth. The architectural concept derives from an immersive dialogue between contextual landscape contours and structural biomimicry, establishing a strict yet fluid functional zoning system centered around a massive open plaza.

The project features a distinct structural division: 60% is dedicated to a curated Narrative Zone, while the remaining 40% acts as an Interactive and Community Sector. The Narrative Zone handles the sequential cultural journey, engineered to guide visitors through four distinct exhibition halls arranged in a precise chronological flow:

The Hall of Origin (Hall 1) introduces the context,

The Hall of Heritage (Hall 2) showcases local memory,

The Hall of Contemporary Identity (Hall 3) bridges the past and present, and

The Horizon Hall (Hall 4) focuses on future potential.

Conversely, the Interactive Sector serves the public, researchers, and local artisans. This public-facing wing includes hands-on creative workshops, an educational resource library, a flexible temporary exhibition hall, and an audio-visual lecture hall. To support financial resilience and tourism integration, this sector also houses a regional restaurant celebrating local culinary traditions and retail artisan shops.

Unifying these two programmatically distinct wings is the Main Central Court. Acting as the spatial anchor and heart of the master plan, this grand public plaza is designed to filter user circulation, mitigate transitional paths, and serve as an open-air collective gathering arena. By placing this civic arena at the core, the project ensures a seamless transition between quiet, reflective exhibition viewing and active community collaboration, creating a sustainable ecosystem that empowers the people of Marsa Matrouh.

Technical information

The project utilizes a hybrid structural system combining a lightweight, long-span Steel Space Truss roof for column-free interior spaces with heavy vertical supports including stone bearing walls, masonry piers, and natural rock pillar columns carved directly into the site's bedrock; the roof assembly features a detailed buildup of reinforced concrete, thermal/waterproofing membranes, leveling layers, and a top finish of artificial rocks to blend seamlessly into the natural topography.