neighbouring pyramids, conceptually
linking modern Cairo and Egypt’s
ancient history, Schokking explains in
conversation with Construction Week.
“Other design features include, what
we call the stilettos – massive downward
pointing structures along the grand
stairs. There are two rows – one on each
side of the travellators that go up and
down for those who do not want to, or
cannot walk, the main stairs.”
Schokking says the stiletto structures
“were very complicated to build”,
adding the huge inverted triangle steel
structures are clad with Egyptian stone.
He adds: “They have become
structural to support the roof but thatA JV of Besix and Orascom
is building the project.was not their main use. You could have
put a column there but this [shape] was
part of the design. The main ‘star’ of
the entrance courtyard is the Rameses
statue. The galleries are on the third level- their facades are actually inclined. To
construct these was not easy either.”
BUILDING WITH BIM
The folded roof structure – another key
component of the original architectural
design – is another complex building
feature, with rectangular panels
spread across all parts of the roof and
its underside, as well as the project’s
suspended ceilings, as the project
director explains.“You’ll see these rectangles
everywhere, and [they] must line up
with each other,” he says.
“To match all of these patterns is quite
difficult and needs a lot of precision.
This whole project was modelled using
building information technology (Bim).
“Nowadays you would consider that
completely normal – every project
generally gets done using Bim. But, bear
in mind, this project was awarded end-
2011 to early-2012, and at that time it was
quite an impressive feature to do it fully
through Bim.”
One of the major design features in the
original Heneghan Peng design was a
Sierpinsky wall, a freestanding structureSITE VISIT
32 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 3 - 30 AUGUST, 2019 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM