International architecture firm SOM has unveiled a design for Alam Al Roum, a new city on Egypt's Mediterranean coast. It will be located near Marsa Matruh and will stretch 7.2 kilometres along the sea. The total area of the site will be 20.6 sq km, Dezeen reports.
One of the project's main features will be a network of lagoons and water bodies with a total length of 22 kilometres, connected to the sea. They will run between residential and public buildings. They will also be used to collect and drain rainwater.
The master plan provides for the construction of residential neighbourhoods, hotels and resort complexes, business and education districts, golf courses and urban infrastructure. Public facilities include a cultural pier, a lighthouse, an amphitheatre, a yacht club, a mosque and markets. A main boulevard will link an international marina with a transport hub further inland.
The architects have also included measures to protect against changing coastal conditions: restoring natural ecosystems, reinforcing sand dunes, and creating wetlands and buffer strips of coastal vegetation. The planning took into account features of the local climate, including sea breezes and natural light.
The project was commissioned by the development company Qatari Diar. Construction of the first phase is scheduled to begin in 2030. It will cover four square kilometres and will include beaches, lagoons and a marina.
The developers expect Alam Al Roum to become a year-round tourist and cultural centre.
