Design Contest Aims to Revitalise Heliopolis’ Iconic Public Spaces

The National Organisation for Urban Harmony is inviting architects and designers to reimagine Basilica Square and Al-Ahram Street in Cairo's Heliopolis neighbourhood, with EGP 1 million to be awarded to six winners.

Led by engineer Mohamed Abousaada, the competition will be held in collaboration with the Heliopolis Heritage Initiative. The brief asks entrants to propose contemporary interventions for underused areas within the district, with the challenge of honouring Heliopolis' distinctive architectural identity while pushing it forward.

The prize fund — contributed by Heliopolis Housing and Development Company — breaks EGP 1 million into six awards: the first-place winner will take home EGP 400,000, followed by second place with EGP 250,000, then third with EGP 200,000, and finally, three encouragement awards of EGP 50,000 each.

Winners must demonstrate a solid balance between heritage values and urban development plans, and submitted proposals must meet specific heritage criteria alongside design ambitions.

A jury of senior Egyptian practitioners will assess submissions, including architect Ahmed El-Zayat, professors Soheir Zaki Hawas and Khaled Zakaria El-Adly from Cairo University, and Seif Abou El-Naga of the Egyptian Architects Association.

The deadline for submissions will close on June 10th, 2026. The judging process will begin a week later on June 17th, and winners will be announced on July 6th, 2026.