Trans[port]

Idea projektu

Reclaiming Al Quseir’s Legacy Through Logistics
Trans[port] is a visionary urban and architectural proposal located in Al Quseir, a historic Red Sea port city once central to Pharaonic trade routes, Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, and Red Sea commerce. Today, despite its strategic location, Al Quseir is economically underutilized — disconnected from Egypt’s primary logistics networks and overshadowed by larger port cities.

This project addresses a critical national problem: Egypt’s logistics infrastructure remains inefficient, centralized, and largely manual, hindering trade fluidity and excluding local communities from the economic benefits of modern supply chains. Trans[port] proposes an innovative solution: a digitally integrated logistics hub that blends automation with community inclusion — moving goods, people, and opportunities.

Popis projektu

A Hybrid Civic-Industrial Port
At its core, Trans[port] challenges the conventional port typology. Rather than designing a fenced-off industrial zone, the project creates a hybrid space that integrates smart logistics, public space, and local commerce — making the movement of goods visible, accessible, and beneficial to the local community.

Key Features:
Automated Trade Infrastructure:
A digitalized core featuring robotic sorting, smart tracking, and real-time customs processing, drastically reducing clearance times from 8 days (current Egyptian average) to a competitive 12 hours or less.

Community-Centric Marketplaces & Trails:
The logistics process is partially exposed to the public through elevated walkways, glass corridors, and interactive retail markets, allowing citizens to engage with the first stage of the supply chain — a first for Egypt.

Local Storage & Micro Distribution Hubs:
Decentralized warehouses cater to local artisans, small-scale fisheries, and coastal producers, connecting them to national and international trade routes while maintaining cultural identity.

Architecture as Dual Identity:
From the town side, the building adopts limestone, coral stone, and contextual masses that blend into Al Quseir’s historic core. From the seaside, a futuristic facade of steel and glass emerges — symbolizing progress, innovation, and transparency.

Social Infrastructure:
Dedicated training spaces, workshops, and workforce development programs support local employment, women’s economic participation, and youth upskilling, transforming the port into a hub for social mobility as much as economic flow.

Technické informace

National Infrastructure Challenges
Although recent reforms have improved Egypt’s customs clearance times from 18 to 8 days, the country remains behind global digital port standards, where processing can take as little as 3 to 12 hours. The current system relies on centralized, manual processes, making secondary ports like Al Quseir inefficient and limiting their economic contribution. This delay restricts trade potential, slows supply chains, and isolates local communities from national development flows.

Smart Port Innovations
Trans[port] reimagines Al Quseir as a prototype for a new kind of logistics hub—automated, inclusive, and environmentally responsive. The project integrates smart logistics systems, including AI-powered distribution forecasting, real-time cargo tracking, and blockchain-enabled customs processes. A modular floating terminal allows for vessel unloading without heavy dredging, making the port adaptable and cost-effective.

Sustainable & Contextual Architecture
Architecturally, the project balances heritage with innovation. The walls are constructed from reinforced rammed earth cavity systems, which provide thermal mass for passive cooling while visually blending into the desert and mountain backdrop. The structure is supported by exposed steel frames, allowing for open spans and functional clarity. Facing the city, the building uses earth-toned textures to respect Al Quseir’s urban fabric. Facing the sea, the design transitions into a contemporary facade of steel and smart glass, symbolizing transparency, progress, and future readiness.

The infrastructure also includes solar-integrated roofing for energy generation, shaded loading zones to reduce heat impact, and a water harvesting system used for cleaning and evaporative cooling. These environmentally driven strategies minimize the project’s footprint while maximizing comfort and performance in the Red Sea climate.

Community and Economic Impact
Trans[port] is more than a logistical facility—it’s a catalyst for economic inclusion. It provides micro-warehousing and cold storage for local producers, such as fishermen and artisans, giving them direct access to national and international markets. The public is invited into the logistics process through educational walkways, viewing platforms, and interactive exhibitions that demystify how goods move and connect communities.

By combining infrastructure with public engagement, Trans[port] turns Al Quseir into a functional and symbolic node—one that restores its role in Egypt’s maritime legacy while shaping a smarter, more inclusive logistics future.