In 2017 the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, announced the creation of a Maison d’Egypte as a part of strengthening the academic cooperation between France and Egypt. This project was realised with the laying of the foundation stone on the 9th of December 2020.
The Arab Republic of Egypt is the third country to join the Cité 2025 project after the Republic of Korea and the People’s Republic of China. On the 12th of October 2017, Khaled Abdel Ghaffer, Egyptian Minister of higher education and scientific research and Frédérique Vidal, Minister of higher education, research and innovation, expressed their desire to strengthen the academic cooperation between Egypt and France. The construction of the Maison d’Egypte at the Cité internationale is a major commitment by the Arab Republic of Egypt towards this goal. It will act as a hub for the academic and cultural influence of Egypt in Île-de-France It will also allow for the diffusion of Egyptian culture to the Parisian public thanks to a multipurpose room that will welcome cultural, academic and artistic shows. For its realisation, the Chancellery of the Universities of Paris made 1915m2 of land available to the Arab Republic of Egypt. The latter will donate the house to the universities of Paris upon completion, as is the case with all of the Cité internationale’s buildings.
Entirely financed by Egypt, the house was designed by the agencies Sam Architecture and Dar Arafa Architecture. It will have 185 rooms, 7 studios and 3 2-room apartments. The rooms will be equipped with sanitary facilities but conform to the Cité internationale’s tradition, eating will be confined to the 8 upstairs kitchens. Everything will be completed by a student foyer, two study rooms, a sports room, two music studios and a 200-seat multipurpose room. A solarium on the top floor will complete the communal areas that are conducive to exchanges.
By promoting international exchange, the Cité internationale plays a historic role in the promotion of peace between nations. Egypt wanted to contribute towards this noble and ambitious effort by joining the existing Foundations. The Maison d’Egypte, a project currently well under way, testifies to the fruitful cooperation between France and Egypt and to the ancestral friendships that link our two countries.
The Maison d’Egypte is currently under construction. The structural work will soon begin and the house will welcome its first residents in September 2023.
The house creates a link between Egypt and France via its architecture. The tan concrete façade is in keeping with the mineral and monolithic spirit of Egyptian construction. It is engraved with ancient Egyptian texts dealing with the quest for knowledge.
The residence’s communal life and access to rooms is organised around an atrium that is bathed in natural light. The interior garden full of Egyptian plants connects with the exterior garden, which centres on a purple beech tree.
The Cité internationale had not increased its welcome capacity since the construction of the Maison de l’Iran in 1969. Cité 2025 is based on an ambitious development project which includes the construction of 10 new houses and the requalification and enlargement of its park.
Want to find out more about the Cité internationale’s heritage? The Heritage Center offers guided tours and a permanent exhibition space. All year round it offers events to the public to discover the urban, architectural, landscape and artistic evolution of this unique site in the world.