Above all, Rifat Chadirji Prize is an annual thematic prize named after the prolific Iraqi architect and academic Dr Rifat Chadirji. This prize is part of Tamayouz’s seven-category awards program. Chadirji’s competition theme was a ‘living pedestrian bridge over the Nile’. To clarify, this bridge is to connect the area of Midan Al-Tahrir (East Bank) to the area of Al Zamalek (West Bank) in Cairo. Above all, if you want to have an in depth look on the “Living Bridge” Competition check out our article: Honoring Excellence: Living Bridge Competition. And to know more about Tamayouz Award winners and their projects , read this article.

First Place Award

Designers: Ali Khaled Elewa, Mostafa Ahmed Zakaria, Sherif Khaled Abdelkhaleq, Ebtisam Mohamed Ahmed Elgizawy and Hoda Essam Abdelmawla. From Cairo, Egypt.
Project’s Name: Cairo Breathing Sanctuary
Project’s Concept: The project acts as an urban park. To illustrate, it offers recreational, commercial, cultural, administrative and social spaces that create a pleasant and playful atmosphere.
Jury Comments: Above all, Jury members highly admired the Egyptians team’s design and viewed it as a successful and elegant composition. Moreover, the design seems to be hugging its own piece of the river and fostering life within its boundaries. The bridge restrains from being visually obstructive, and the three layers are complex yet simple, while the axis on the two sides is very inviting. Certainly, the bridge’s design is clear, dynamic and successful, and the structural system complies with the requirements of river navigation.

Second Place Award

Designers: Tay Othman, Ayman Tawfeeq, Saif Alrudaini and Muzdalifa Jafar. From USA/Iraq
Project’s Name: A Journey On The Nile
Project’s Concept: To re-introduce an intangible system of connections that bridges old and new. To blend city and nature, sky and water, people and habitats while bringing the Nile back to its home city.
Jury Comments: While the jury members think that the proposal’s concept is different, unique and respects both of the Nile’s banks. However, the jury felt that the two sides of the bridge featured different architectural languages and that the two pavilions were disconnected. Generally, the jurors found this project to be of great potentials.

Third Place Award

Designers: Basel Paşa Haclavi, Mohammed Jawdat Hameed and Hend Osama Ahmed Abdelwahab Abdelrazek. From Istanbul, Turkey
Project’s Name: Cairo Creative Walk
Project’s Concept: The project proposes to revise the old urban memory of the site by creating an artistic residency that attracts cultural industries.
Jury Comments: The jury felt this project reassures and celebrates the vibrant and variable cultural heritage values and components of Cairo. To illustrate, the team were able to design changing experiences and styles along the multiple clusters on the bridge. Yet, the jury wondered if the spaces were too dense and how this would affect the reality of using the bridge.

The Honorable Mentions

First Honorable Mention

Designers: Arun Giant (Rittipong Tiandum and Sasithorn Tiandum). From Bangkok, Thailand
Project’s Name: Nile Over Nile
Project’s Concept: The project is plotted to reflect Egypt’s development from the past to the present and also the future.
Jury Comments: The jury found the idea of this project clear and respectful of the Nile’s banks. However, they felt that the project was overly structured and its scale was too large. Nonetheless, this project is off to a good start, as its overall form and structural system complies with river navigation requirements.

Second Honorable Mention

Designers: Atelier Aziz Alqatami (Aziz Alqatami, Khalid Algharaballi, Christophe Martinese and Gilbert Caneba). From Kuwait
Project’s Name: Al Maidan Bridge
Jury Comments: The jury commented that this project offered a simple solution. However, its straightforward geometrical form could use further development so as to emphasize a visual continuity with the Nile and both of its banks.

Third Honorable Mention

Designers: Codesign (Anna Cornaro, Valerio de Divitiis, Francesco De Tulio and Maya Roufail). From Dubai, UAE
Project’s Name: Two For One
Project’s Concept: The project is a complex journey that brings to the discovery of different events. It opens up new indirect views towards both sides of the river.
Jury Comments: Above all, the jury admired that this project has a lot of potential with the idea of the meeting banks and the use of observation decks is interesting. On the other hand, the execution of the presentation needs further development in order to become more successful.

Fourth Honorable Mention

Designers: Lulo (Juan Esteban Porras, Isabella Jaramillo, Jana Valentina Guevara and Avril Figueroa). From Cali, Colombia
Project’s Name: A Living Bridge Over The Nile River
Project’s Concept: The design proposal is a mixture of Egyptian traditions, cultures, environments and society. It’s where nature and city interwind in one.
Jury Comments: The jury found the form of this project interesting, and the scheme addresses the shading for the bridge during the hot months of the summer. However, the historical reference could have used further research

Fifth Honorable Mention

Designers: Karmbuild (Karim El Kafrawi, Diaa Diab, Mariam Maged, Farah Faheem). From Cairo, Egypt
Project’s Name: Living Bridge On The Nile
Project’s Concept: The Projects offers Cairenes to interact with the Nile directly, by immersing them into it instead of by it.  
Jury Comments: This project presents an interesting take on traditional bridge forms and uses these forms to offer viewing and gathering spaces for users on the river. The mass in some places though is exaggerated.

Sixth Honorable Mention

Designers: Mostafa Hazem and Ola Ahmed Maged. From Giza, Egypt
Project’s Name: Inter-Twine, Gardens By The Nile
Project’s Concept: The projects provides a green spine that would reduce pollution and add enjoyable green areas that the Egyptians lack.
Jury Comments: Certainly, the jury appreciated the project’s consideration of views, and the incorporated access to the rooftop of the museum. However, on the Western Bank, the bridge appears to stop abruptly, and further clarification of the bridge’s integration with the site would have been appreciated.

Finally, Tamayouz offers many prestigious awards and encourages designers to participate and compete. So, go and check their page to keep up with their competitions and awards.