AVIATION MUSEUM
2019
Cairo, Egypt - 2019
ADS3, Prof. Mohamed Mosaad
Arab Academy for Science & Technology
The architectural concept for this WWII-era aviation museum is driven by the dynamic interplay of three core tenets: Oscillation, Abstraction, and Penetration. The design embodies Oscillation—reflecting the intense experiential dichotomy between the stillness of preparation and the velocity of flight—by articulating the museum as two joined, linear, yet completely asymmetrical masses, each emphasizing a distinct state of being. The theme of Abstraction pays homage to the history of aviation engineering, tracing the evolution from organic bird forms to mechanical aircraft; this is realized through extensive curtain walls that expose the building's structural skeleton, arranged on a grid derived from Leonardo da Vinci’s foundational flying machine studies. Finally, the action of flight is captured through Penetration, symbolizing aircraft breaking physical limits; this is forcefully translated into a pedestrian bridge that pierces the architectural volume, carving a depression on one facade and forcing an extrusion on the other, thereby shaping the building through the dynamic vector of the adjacent infrastructure.
Situated within the bustling grounds of Cairo International Airport, this project envisions a museum that functions as a dynamic cultural gateway. The site strategy is defined by a responsive dialogue with its immediate neighbors, acting as an active connector between Terminal 3, Le Méridien Hotel, and the adjacent road network. The building’s orientation is meticulously sculpted by environmental parameters; it respects the solar path to minimize heat gain while capturing prevailing winds for natural ventilation, ensuring the museum is not only physically integrated with the airport’s infrastructure but also climatically attuned to its environment.
Projections
There are two masses, the irregular one structure system is a combination of folding & vierendeel structure, which consists of irregular members connected to form a certain shape & the regular mass is held by a frame structure & in the common space between them, there is a connection between the two structure systems.
