Photos reveal monumental scale of Egypt’s New Administrative Capital

By Tom Ravenscroft

Vast ceremonial spaces, a presidential palace and the largest mosque in Africa have been captured in these photographs of Egypt‘s New Administrative Capital, taken by Johan Blasberg.

Taken earlier this year, the photos show the architecture and public spaces of Egypt’s new capital city, which is being built 45 kilometres to the east of Cairo.

Called New Administrative Capital, although this may not be its permanent name, the city is being built on 700 square kilometres of largely undeveloped land halfway between Cairo and Suez.

It is planned to house over six million people when it is complete and become the administrative capital of Egypt, containing the country’s presidential palace, parliament and the majority of central government departments.

The New Administrative Capital is arranged around a monumental central axis that terminates with the Grand Mosque to the south and the People’s Park and vast presidential palace complex at the north.

A giant landscaped public square is placed on this central axis. Surrounding this space are numerous big modernist gateways, some of which contain integrated seating.

Egypt’s parliament sits next to the square, with the three-pointed House of Representatives directly overlooking it and the Senate behind it.

Blasberg visited the New Administrative Capital city while on a trip to Cairo and was keen to see the architecture as there are few pictures available online.

“I’ve always been fascinated by strange and less-traveled places,” he told Dezeen. “The New Administrative Capital was high on my list when I visited Cairo.”

“I’d heard stories about this insane project since it was conceptualised, and I had to see it for myself,” he continued.

“I was also surprised by the lack of pictures and media online, so I had a feeling there would be some interesting photo opportunities.”

Blasberg described how he was overwhelmed by the scale of the architecture and public spaces.

“It’s monumental and absolutely imposing,” he explained. “I don’t think I’ve ever visited a city that made me feel so small and insignificant.”

“The city is not designed with the human scale in mind,” continued Blasberg. “It’s almost impossible to navigate by foot and lacks shade, which is crazy in a city where the daytime temperature often exceeds 35 degrees celsius during the hotter months.”

“Walking from end to end of the People’s Park is about five kilometres and will take roughly an hour,” he added.

The development of the New Administrative Capital was first announced in 2015 as part of the Egypt Vision 2030 project led by president Abd el-Fattah el-Sisi.

Many of the key buildings have been completed, including the vast presidential palace and Grand Mosque, which is the largest mosque in Africa, as well as the parliament and several government ministry buildings.

A financial district with the tallest building in Africa, named Iconic Tower, and a sports district with a 93,000-seat stadium have also been built.

The city was designed to alleviate the overpopulation of Cairo but has been criticised for catering to the upper classes.

It was planned following the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, which was focused on Tahrir Square in Cairo, and moves the government away from the existing major population centre.

“It’s hard to talk about the New Administrative Capital without considering the political context,” said Blasberg.

“Having also visited the slums and ‘informal areas’ of Cairo, seeing the grandeur of the luxury developments standing empty felt quite crushing,” he continued.

“My first impression was just sheer bafflement at the absurd scale of the place. It feels incredibly authoritarian,” Blasberg added. “It’s clear that the city has been designed with security and control in mind, making any potential uprising a near impossibility.”

Blasberg described the architecture as neo-pharaonic and futuristic with “brutalist vibes”.

“I found the term ‘neo-pharaonic’ on Wikipedia, and that sums it up quite well for me,” he said. “In a strange way, it’s also futuristic.”

“It also carries some brutalist vibes, radiating power and authoritarianism,” he continued. “I’m not surprised that people, upon seeing my pictures for the first time, have compared it to something straight out of Dune.”

With the New Administrative Capital. Egypt is the latest country to build a planned capital city. Major global examples of purpose-built capital cities include Brasília in Brazil and Canberra in Australia.

The photography is by Johan Blasberg.

This article is originally available at www.dezeen.com