Netropolis

Idea projektu

El Max, a coastal district in western Alexandria, is deeply rooted in fishing traditions and maritime culture. However, the area now faces critical environmental and socio-economic threats, including rising sea levels, overfishing, industrial pollution, and the gradual loss of traditional knowledge. As these pressures mount, the community’s primary livelihood — fishing — becomes increasingly unsustainable, placing both the environment and local identity at risk.

This project emerges from the need to reimagine the relationship between the local population and their marine ecosystem. It sets out to create an architectural intervention that responds to the urgency of ecological collapse while acknowledging the cultural significance of El Max’s fishing heritage. The goal is to establish a space that reconnects the community with the sea in a more informed, responsible, and adaptive manner.

The objectives of the project are to address the intersection of environmental degradation and cultural erosion, to raise awareness about the dangers of overexploitation of marine resources, and to imagine how architecture can act as a medium for education, preservation, and long-term resilience in vulnerable coastal environments.

Popis projektu

Set against the backdrop of a near-future Alexandria threatened by rising sea levels and ecological collapse, this project envisions a lighthouse-led intervention in El Max, a coastal district whose economy and identity are deeply tied to fishing. The architectural proposal introduces a fishing and culinary school designed to transform the relationship between community, marine life, and education. It responds to the urgency of overfishing and cultural erosion by merging tradition with innovation through spatial experience and interactive technology. Visitors and students alike are immersed in a narrative that redefines sustainability, as the architecture itself becomes a learning tool and a protective infrastructure for the environment.

The project consists of several main components: a lighthouse that serves as a structural anchor and surveillance hub; a fishing school equipped with hologram and VR rooms to teach sustainable fishing; a culinary school where students engage in traditional seafood preparation; a four-story public aquarium offering immersive underwater experiences; and smart nets that form the project’s core ecological intervention. These nets are suspended on hydraulic columns that adjust their height to optimize fishing conditions. Controlled by AI, the nets selectively descend into the water when fish populations are at sustainable levels, capturing only target species while allowing juveniles and non-target marine life to escape. Once the catch is secured, the nets ascend for collection. Their real-time activity is displayed through interactive exhibitions that connect the public with the process of ethical fishing. A fish processing zone handles the journey from freshly caught fish to cleaned and stored ingredients, feeding directly into the educational kitchens. The project also includes dormitory floors for students, creating a fully integrated academic and living environment. The visitor experience includes interactive galleries, an educational boat deployment journey, and sea-view restaurants that reinforce the link between learning, nature, and community.

Technické informace

The project is anchored by a central lighthouse structure constructed with a reinforced concrete core surrounded by a steel truss system, allowing for vertical circulation, load transfer, and integration of surveillance functions. The main masses of the building—including the fishing school, culinary school, and aquarium—are supported by cantilevered steel box structures suspended using tension cables connected to the lighthouse. The ground-level slabs are reinforced concrete, while the elevated floors use steel framing with truss bracing for long spans and stability.

The construction employs a combination of high-performance materials tailored to withstand marine exposure, including corrosion-resistant steel, reinforced concrete, and treated glass panels. The four-story aquarium utilizes laminated glass and reinforced concrete walls, designed to withstand the pressure of over 9000 m³ of water. Smart fishing nets are controlled through hydraulic columns powered by precision motors, integrated into the structural system. The lighthouse houses the drone storage area, control rooms, and wind-filtering systems using layered fins to reduce wind loads.

Dokumentace

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