Stacking Alexandria

Project idea

"Stacking Alexandria" reimagines Alexandria's urban fabric by transforming its original horizontal layout into a vertical architectural expression. The project is a hypothetical tower that organises the city's various elements—commerce, work, living, culture, and governance—in a stacked, vertical sequence. The design provides a unique perspective on density, hierarchy, and circulation by compressing the city's multifaceted experiences into a single continuous space. It challenges conventional zoning by combining opposing roles inside a single vertical spine, while maintaining a narrative structure that reflects Alexandria's richness and multiplicity.

Project description

The tower's formal design begins with the placement of four vertical cores, which serve not only as structural and circulation spines, but also as conceptual representations of Alexandria's multi-centered urban dynamic. The four cores of the tower, like Alexandria, are not organised around a single centre, but rather around spread civic, commercial, and residential nodes, allowing for the establishment of separate vertical neighbourhoods. The zones are stacked as follows: Lower levels include commercial and public-facing operations. Mid Levels: Office and Hotel Programs Upper levels include residential units and a presidential suite. Topmost Floors: An exhibition area displaying an urban analysis of Alexandria, transforming the tower into a cultural statement and educational instrument.The solid tower mass is carved with a sequence of vertical spaces inspired by Alexandria's historic courtyards. These sky courtyards bring light, air, and community space into the vertical structure, serving as environmental and social lungs throughout the height of the building. They incorporate visible and physical breathing zones into the dense structure, promoting interaction, passive ventilation, and spatial richness.

Technical information

Stacking Alexandria is built on a reinforced concrete structural structure, with four vertical cores serving as the fundamental structural and circulation components. These cores have vertical circulation (elevators and staircases) and house all mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) shafts. They also function as shear walls, resisting lateral stresses such as wind. The building employs a column and flat slab design, which streamlines construction and allows for more flexible interior layouts. As the tower climbs, the columns and shear walls shrink in size, reflecting the lower structural demand on the top levels. This method also helps to optimise material utilisation and lighten the structure near the top. The façade system is a double-skin design, which includes: An interior curtain wall composed of glass that allows for transparency and daylight. An outer skin of perforated metal panels that function as solar screens to regulate sunlight exposure. The density of the perforated panels is varied according on the sun orientation: The south façade, which receives the most direct sunlight, has the largest panel density to ensure maximum shading. Because the north façade receives less direct sunlight, it has the lowest density, enabling more light to enter. The east and west façades are treated with a reasonable density to balance shading requirements with daylight access in the morning and afternoon sun.The tower mass is also carved with vertical voids and sky courtyards, drawing inspiration from Alexandria's historic architecture typologies. These gaps allow more natural light and airflow into the dense vertical structure while also providing common social areas throughout the building's height. All building services—HVAC, plumbing, and electrical—are vertically dispersed throughout the cores. The structural logic, material system, and environmental techniques all contribute to the project's central concept of transforming Alexandria's horizontal urban layers into a sustainable, vertical city shape.

Documentation

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