CoraLine Start-Up Hub

Idea projektu

Cora Line Startup Hub is a spatial narrative of resilience and transformation, where fragmented glass masses reflect the chaotic energy of startups. As users move through the building, spaces gradually connect—mirroring the journey from uncertainty to innovation. Textured coral-aggregate cladding anchors the design in its coastal context, symbolizing regeneration through the reuse of dead reefs. With each level, the architecture shifts from open exploration to focused creation, embodying adaptability, circularity, and the evolving nature of entrepreneurial growth.

Popis projektu

Based on a thorough examination of architectural solutions for
innovation-driven environments and the unique requirements of El Quseir's
entrepreneurial and ecological context, the Cora Line Startup Hub's spatial
program was carefully designed. With areas for individual and group work,
technical fabrication, material testing, and public interaction, the program is
designed to facilitate the entire production cycle, from conception to
prototyping and public presentation. The facility has designated retail
outlets, jewelry and furniture studios, a prototyping lab, conference and
exhibition rooms, shared team workspaces, and workshops for processing
coral fragments, as shown in the zoning diagrams. Reception, waiting areas,
and exhibitions are examples of communal spaces that improve everyday
productivity and user engagement. The building's goal to be a dynamic,
regenerative platform that fosters creativity, encourages sustainable
innovation, and unites disparate user groups through a balance of public,
educational, and productive spaces is reflected in the physical structure

Technické informace

The project's façade treatment was influenced by the environmental factors and material logic of the
structure as well as the symbolic goal of expressing layered identity and regeneration. The facades
were designed to be alive, breathing surfaces that react to light, wind, and user contact rather than
being static skins, drawing inspiration from the textures of local limestone rocks and coral reefs.
Coral-aggregate cladding, which is composed of crushed dead coral mixed into precast concrete
blocks, is the main treatment. Through reuse, this material not only lessens its impact on the
environment but also adds a unique visual identity. Its coarse, porous texture blends well with El
Quseir's coastal geology and creates dramatic shadows throughout the day. By dispersing heat and
permitting micro air circulation throughout the exterior, the cladding also contributes to passive
cooling.
The project's intricate and varied architectural functions are
reflected in its structural system. It takes a hybrid approach,
integrating vertical shear walls strategically within service
cores and circulation shafts to maintain lateral stability,
with reinforced concrete flat slabs for zones that require
open, uninterrupted spaces, such as exposition halls and
coworking spaces. A steel truss box system was introduced
in places that required strong architectural gestures, such as
public plazas or the cantilevered sections that extended
toward the sea. Because of this cantilevered technique, the
upper floors were able to hover dramatically without the
need for vertical supports that would have blocked view
corridors or outdoor activities. In order to convey the
structural logic of the building, the trusses are either
exposed or embedded inside the slab depth.
The structure was able to effectively adapt to spatial
requirements thanks to this tiered approach: lightweight
steel systems offer flexibility and increased reach in
public-facing or shared zones, while heavier, more
substantial parts anchor private or high-load sections. In addition to being a technological choice, this
system integration was also an artistic and experiential one, praising openness and lightness at times
while grounding and enclosing others. The pictures presented demonstrate the accuracy of the details,
demonstrating how the façade, interior design, and construction all work together to adapt to the
surroundings and smoothly manage loads and lights.