Ohlson architectural firm picked to design $730M project in Cairo

Colorado's Ohlson Lavoie Collaborative has been named architect of record for the long-planned, $730 million, 8 million-square-foot Cairo Financial Center mixed-use project in Egypt.

The contract is Ohlson Lavoie Collaborative's largest ever, according to the firm. The Denver-based company is 45 years old, with branch offices in Florida, Japan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

The controversial Cairo project -- to be located on 15 acres overlooking the Egyptian capital's historic, 12th century Citadel fortress -- has been in the planning stages since the 1990s.

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Egypt's antiquities director, Zahi Hawass, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have been concerned about the Cairo Financial Center's impact on the historically significant Citadel. A major concern is that the new complex might harm the landmark Citadel's "visual integrity," according to UNESCO, which named it a World Heritage Site in 1979.

The financial center is being developed by Alkan Holdings, a Cairo-based conglomerate involved in telecommunications, distribution, manufacturing, tourism and aviation, as well as real estate. Alkan also will own and operate the property through Cairo Financial Center Co., started in 1999.

"We will create a unique complex that includes a hotel, offices, commercial and retail center for the residents, business people and tourists of the Cairo area," Khaled Nassar, general manager and engineer for the financial center, said in a statement. "We believe OLC is the best choice to help bring this dream to reality."

OLC has 76 employees, 18 of which have been assigned to the firm's Cairo office.

The Cairo Financial Center's first phase is scheduled to include:

• 600,000 square feet of office space,
• 950,000 square feet of retail space,
• 3,000-space underground parking garage,
• 16-screen movie theater.

Phase one is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2010.

The project's second phase, to be finished in 2013, is expected to include:

• 1.1 million square feet of office space,
• 800,000 square feet of retail footage,
• 100,000-square-foot conference center,
• health club,
• 450-room luxury hotel,
• 3,000 underground parking spaces.

Part of medieval Cairo, the Citadel is important because it long was the seat of Egyptian government, is associated with Sultan Saladin and is Cairo's highest point. It includes the equally historic Mohamed Ali Mosque, which dominates Cairo's skyline.

To avoid competing with the Citadel, OLC plans to use nearby Mokattam Hill as design inspiration for the Cairo Financial Center. "The project will blend into the hill with a 'stepping' approach that allows unobstructed views of the historic scenery," according to OLC.