Reassessment of the compatibility of new functions for historic structures and the urban settings around them: Example of the old Damanhur City Hall - El-Behaira, Egypt

Shdid, Mona Yahia; RAMZY, Nelly SHAFIK; Amin, Ayman Abdel Hamid

doi:10.21608/msaeng.2022.171756.1065

Reassessment of the compatibility of new functions for historic structures and the urban settings around them: Example of the old Damanhur City Hall - El-Behaira, Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Associated Professor, Department of Architecture. Faculty of Engineering-Benha, Benha University

² Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Damanhur University

³ 1a Department of Architectural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Benha University El Estad St., Benha, El Kalyobia, Egypt.

10.21608/msaeng.2022.171756.1065

Abstract

In Egypt, there are more and more initiatives including building reuse in the surrounding metropolitan areas as a result of the necessity to make compromises between the physical environment's historical significance and present necessities. It was challenging to develop an explicit framework for assessing various experiences due to the qualitative character of this process and its reliance on multiple points of view. This study intends to accomplish the following three goals using a qualitative approach, a descriptive-analytical methodology, and data from both theoretical and field studies: first, to offer precise, literature-based indicators or measures for assessing adaptive reuse projects; second, to utilise these indicators or measures to evaluate the adaptive reuse of the former Damanhur City Hall (now the Damanhur Opera House and Center of Artistic Creation); Third, to draw attention to the reasons for criticism of decisions involving adaptive reuse through this analysis. The project's evaluation based on the specified measures included semi-structured interviews with stakeholders. According to the study's findings, although most of the physical criteria for adaptive reuse were met, according to the respondents' assessments, the procedure fell short on the social criteria. The study's findings urge cautious adjustment of Egypt's laws and regulations governing adaptive reuse, with the participation of pertinent parties to ensure sounder decision-making.

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