A house project since the 1930s
The project for an Egyptian Pavilion at the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris is not new. The first links forged between the Cité internationale and Egypt date back to the 1930s. André Honnorat, the main founder and president of the foundation until 1948, visited Cairo in February 1934. In 1951, plans for a house were drawn up and a deed of gift was signed. Initiated at the time of King Farouk under the name of the ‘Farouk I Foundation’, the architectural project took the form of a pyramid. Gamal Abdel Nasser then took over the project, renaming it successively ‘Maison d’Égypte’, then ‘Université de Paris, Maison d’Égypte’. However, the project was abandoned after the Franco-British Suez expedition in 1956.
It wasn’t until 6 December 2015 that a chance meeting revived the project. Ehab Badawy, Ambassador of the Republic of Egypt to France, and Marcel Pochard, President of the national foundation Cité internationale universitaire de Paris, revived the idea of an Egyptian Pavilion at a dinner hosted by the Japanese Ambassador to Paris.
Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, gave it a decisive boost by signing a letter of intent on 1 April 2016. It took just a few months to finalise the commitment agreement, which was signed on 24 October 2017. During Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi’s state visit to France on 25 October 2017, the leaders of the two countries, in a joint declaration, called for the development of bilateral university cooperation, in particular through the strengthening of the French University of Egypt, student exchanges between the two countries and the opening of a Maison d’Egypte within the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris.
The architecture competition was launched on 2 February 2019. A winner was chosen: a Franco-Egyptian team of architects, Sam architectes and Dar Arafa architecture. On 23 June 2023, two delegations from France and Egypt met at the Sorbonne to sign the deed of gift, the agreement on the right of use in favour of the Maison d’Égypte association and the agreement on the right of use in favour of the future foundation. This was the last stage of the project before it opened.
Nature at the heart of the architectural project
The Maison d’Égypte reflects the Cité internationale’s values of peace, openness and solidarity. It aims for architectural excellence, and its location on the campus respects the existing landscape. The main theme of the project is nature, both through the conservation of the red beech on the exterior and the creation of an Egyptian-inspired garden on the upper floor. The project also incorporates elements of Egyptian culture, with monumental hieroglyphs on the facades and products imported directly from Egypt, including stone flooring, lighting and furniture.
A sober, enduring building
The entire building is sculpted by the forces of nature, such as the path of the sun and the behaviour of the wind, but also by artificial forces such as the noise and pollution of the ring road and the urban limits, in particular the setback imposed around the purple beech. This last constraint becomes the project’s main asset, creating a dialogue between two gardens: the first outside, laid out around the tree and featuring local vegetation, and the second inside, protected by the atrium and featuring Egyptian vegetation.
Stone was the material of choice for the Egyptians. The choice of this indestructible material is directly linked to the perpetual quest for the profound and the eternal. The prefabricated concrete façade, with its ochre (tinted in the mass) and sandblasted colours, is in keeping with the mineral and monolithic spirit of Egyptian buildings. This high-quality, durable material anchors the Maison d’Égypte simultaneously in the past and present of both French and Egyptian cultures.
The volume of the house is also in keeping with Egyptian tradition, from the time when objects were made from a single large block of stone. The concrete façade protects the building where necessary, and becomes a glazed façade to the east to create visual continuity between the heart of the building and the garden, and to let in as much natural light as possible.
The astonishing result is a luminous, plant-filled heart of the building, where residents’ community life flourishes. The Egyptian texts engraved on the façade have been selected from ancient texts dealing with the quest for knowledge, such as the story of Sinuhe, King Neferkare & General Sasenet, and Amenemhat’s instructions.
Meeting places
The residence is designed around a large central atrium, lit by a glass roof, around which community life is organised, as are the kitchens, communal dining rooms and upstairs lounges, located on each level, all with a view over the two gardens. The 1st floor is also a privileged meeting place around the Egyptian garden. A large terrace has been laid out as an extension of the residents’ foyer. Other living spaces are located on the same level: the sports hall, the music rooms and the committee office. On the 8th and top floor, the atrium is covered by a large roof-top terrace that provides residents with a sunny outdoor space in summer. On the ground floor, the L’égyptien café offers a hybrid space for meetings and work, with a cultural programme.
Developing academic and scientific cooperation
The idea of an Egyptian Pavilion at the Cité internationale is not new. A first, unsuccessful project was planned for 2021. On 24 October 2017, a formal agreement was signed for the construction of an Egyptian House at the Cité internationale. This project marks the desire to strengthen academic, scientific and cultural cooperation between France and Egypt, as announced by French President Emmanuel Macron that same year.
In 2021, France welcomed nearly 3,000 Egyptian students. The number of students coming to France from Egypt has risen by 35% over the last five years, with a significant increase of 55% in the number of female students. Both countries are keen to further develop student and scientific mobility between them. The construction of the Maison d’Egypte is a major commitment by the Arab Republic of Egypt to this objective. It will be a focal point for Egypt’s academic and cultural influence in the Paris Region and will help to promote Egyptian culture to the Parisian public.
