cairo's brutalist tower blocks take over manuel alvarez diestro's new photo series

the unknown brutalist architecture of cairo

with a population of more than 21 million people, cairo is known for its legacy of ancient egyptian, islamic, and coptic architecture. however, little is known about other architectural movements from the twenty century, such as brutalism, a very important pillar of the modern movement.

with this in mind, manuel alvarez diestro has photographed in a multi-angle approach the massive concrete slabs that he found in maadi and shubra districts, which still shape cairo’s skyline and create a less known narrative of the metropolis from an architectural point of view.

all images courtesy of manuel alvarez diestro

capturing an atmosphere of abandonment 

the toulouse-based photographer has also lived in london, where he grew an admiration for the work of erno goldfinger, particularly the iconic trellick and balfron towers built under the social utopias manifesto in the ’60s.

that said, most of the buildings alvarez diestro photographed in cairo showcase brutalist characteristics, such as the use of concrete, and the connecting ramps between towers that reveal the structural elements of the projects. in terms of composition, the photographer juxtaposes the tower blocks against the landscape generating an atmosphere of abandonment and frontier city.

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project info:

name: cairo’s brutalist tower blocks

photographer: manuel alvarez diestro

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom