Honorable Mention
2021 Skyscraper Competition
Adam Fernandez
France
For more than 4,500 years, the pyramids have fascinated me. Man-made for the elite of the early dynasties, they were built as a royal tomb. Resurrection machine where the pharaohs made their transition from death to eternal life, this pyramidal shape is also a magical symbol of regeneration linked to the daily rebirth of the sun.
According to recent research, the pyramids were built by free men. The excavations carried out near the pyramids by the group of archaeologists AERA in 2013 have made it possible to reconstruct the life of these Egyptians. It describes a working town located south of the Sphinx. They found evidence of animal husbandry, slaughterhouses, and graveyards there, enough to infer the proper diet and access to medical care for construction workers, Dr. Redding told LiveScience.
The PYRAMIDES project aims to offer an alternative to the architects of the past. That of building new cities based on the same divine laws. Through which the people and the pharaohs would cohabit together.
This city is organized around an oasis. It keeps an ecological reserve in its core where wild flora and fauna share a common shelter protected from the sun. Functioning as a green lung and natural air conditioner, the inhabitants of PYRAMIDES will be able to walk there and enjoy a temperate climate.
In the very heart of the city and the oasis, there is also a place of worship dedicated to prayer where all roads converge. As for the royal tomb, the basements protect the relics and sarcophagus of their pharaoh.
Living area, accessible from the oasis and by sea, ensures the protection of these mystical places. Like a fortified caravanserai, the corridors and galleries of PYRAMIDES offer citizens rest areas, stables, shopping areas, and shelter for people passing through. Places of exchange and meeting points frequented by foreigners, travelers, and locals.
Located along the banks of the Nile, the water provides continuous protection against major attacks from certain looters and settlers. The low depths prevent the approach of large pirate ships. And the single narrow access facing the city limits the regrouping of large armies.
PYRAMIDS would be above all a peace project based on beliefs and practices from the time when religion played an important role in the life of these ancient people.
