DIGITAL HERITAGE MUSEUM
CAIRO, EGYPT
The project seeks visions for a museum that employs cutting-edge technology, such as virtual reality, holography, and interactive displays, to bring ancient Egypt to life. It will serve as an educational resource and tourist attraction, promoting cultural preservation through innovation.
Competition Ended in November, 2025
BRIEF
Cairo — a cradle of civilization, a city layered with the relics of millennia — stands at the crossroads of memory and modernity. As one of the world’s richest cultural landscapes, it faces the urgent challenge of safeguarding its heritage amidst rapid urbanization, climate stress, and evolving modes of engagement. Many invaluable artifacts remain locked in inaccessible vaults or are deteriorating under environmental duress.
The Digital Heritage Museum proposes a bold architectural response: a new kind of cultural institution that uses emerging technologies to digitally preserve, reconstruct, and reinterpret Egypt’s vast and diverse cultural legacy. This is not a museum of artifacts, but a museum of experiences — an immersive gateway into ancient knowledge systems, stories, and lost environments.
This competition invites architects, designers, and students to envision a site-specific, technologically-forward, and culturally-sensitive museum that bridges the past with the future, positioning Cairo as a global leader in the preservation of digital heritage.
Preserving the past, designing the future.
SITE
The El-Remaya Square site is a prominent urban node located near Cairo, Egypt, next to the gateway to the Giza Plateau. Known for its strategic position at the intersection of major highways and tourist routes, it serves as a key arrival point for visitors to the Pyramids and other historic landmarks.
This dynamic district is characterized by its high visibility, cultural significance, and proximity to both heritage sites and dense urban neighborhoods. As a place where ancient history meets contemporary movement, the site presents a compelling backdrop for architectural innovation, offering opportunities to redefine public engagement at the threshold of Egypt’s most iconic treasures.
JURY
Each jury undergoes meticulous nomination, consisting of top-tier professionals whose expertise closely aligns with the competition's theme. This rigorous selection process ensures that every jury member embodies excellence and relevance in their respective fields.
Outstanding participants may receive job or internship offers, supported by the jury panel and their connections, to advance their careers in design and architecture.
Alberto Francini is an Italian architect and urban planner, co-founder of Metrogramma, a prominent architecture and urban planning office established in 1999 in Milan. He holds a PhD in Architecture and Urban Planning from the Polytechnic of Milan. Francini began his professional journey with Giuliano Fiorenzoli in New York and later collaborated with Massimiliano Fuksas in Rome. In 2017, he launched his own practice, ALBERTO FRANCINI Architecture & Urban Planning (Milan/Doha), through which he has led projects across Italy, Qatar, and Russia, with a focus on culturally rooted and forward-looking urban design.
His work has been exhibited internationally at Architettura in Digitale, Comunità Resilienti, and the Venice Architecture Biennale (2021, 2010, 2008). In 2010, he co-curated the “Barbara Cappochin” Architecture Biennale with Metrogramma. His publications include the books Super Infrastructures (2003) and 4city (2001), along with articles in Domus, Abitare, Metropolis, The Plan, and The Plan Journal.
A dedicated educator and practitioner, Francini has taught at Politecnico di Milano, the University of Ferrara, and South Ural State University. He currently leads architecture studios at KSU’s Florence Program.
Francini’s work explores the intersection of urban form, infrastructure, and cultural identity. With extensive experience in Doha, he brings a deep understanding of design in hot, arid climates, making him especially attuned to architecture that is context-responsive, technologically integrated, and publicly engaging.
Michael den Otter joined OMA in 2018 and worked on a number of competitions and projects across different continents, including Apollolaan 171 and the Bajeskwartier in Amsterdam, the renovation of the Egyptian Museum in Turin, and various high-rise towers in the Middle East. He has led the Innovation Partnership Schools project for OMA and is responsible for the creative direction of the Schools by the CircleWood construction system.
Michael holds a Master of Architecture from the Eindhoven University of Technology and the University of Sydney in Australia. He has specific interests in public and cultural architecture, as well as sustainable and circular design.
Michael brings to the jury panel a sharp critical eye and a strong interest in projects that integrate cultural heritage, digital innovation, and spatial narrative. His cross-disciplinary perspective and experience within one of the world’s leading design firms make him a valuable voice in identifying work that is bold, thoughtful, and impactful.
Sherry Li is a leading voice at the intersection of design, media, and public engagement. As the Founder of ArchiDogs—where she also serves as Chief Brand Consultant and Editor-in-Chief—she brings a multidisciplinary perspective grounded in both architecture and landscape architecture.
She holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and dual degrees in Architecture (B.Arch and M.Arch) from Southeast University. Her professional journey began at internationally renowned firms such as Elkus Manfredi Architects in Boston and NBBJ in Shanghai, where she gained valuable experience across a range of design scales and contexts.
For over a decade, Sherry has been dedicated to shaping cultural narratives around the built environment through strategic branding, design communication, and media curation. Combining hands-on design expertise with sharp editorial insight, she offers a thoughtful and forward-looking perspective in evaluating projects that engage with landscape, culture, and community.
Simon McKenzie is an architect and educator based in San Francisco. Before joining Feldman Architecture in 2024, he spent seven years working at the international office of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, where he worked on projects at a variety of scales from their early conception through to construction document phases. Simon also has experience at acclaimed offices such as OMA, Coop Himmelb(l)au, and the Research and Development Laboratory of 3XN.
Simon gained his Bachelor of Architecture Studies from the University of Waterloo and Master of Architecture at McGill University. At McGill, he received the AIA Henry Adams Medal and the RAIC Gold Medal for being the top architecture graduate. For the last five years, he has also taught a fourth-year design studio at the Academy of Art University, while maintaining his fulltime position at SOM. Simon’s approach to design combines functional elements of program and site together with experiential elements of phenomenology and narrative.
Sumit Sahdev is a Senior Architect at Herzog & de Meuron with a global design perspective shaped by education and practice across the United States and abroad. He earned his B.Arch from Cornell University (2005) and an M.Arch II from Princeton University (2009). Sumit has worked with renowned firms including OMA New York, Stan Allen Architect, Studio Hillier, and SOM, and collaborated with Project Room in Los Angeles, contributing to a wide range of commercial, residential, retail, transportation, and cultural projects in the U.S., Japan, China, and the UAE.
His experience spans scales—from finely crafted interiors to towers and urban infrastructure—bringing a sensitivity to both detail and broader urban conditions. With particular relevance to this competition, Sumit’s work often engages complex site and programmatic relationships through a process that values curiosity, clarity, and cultural responsiveness. He is especially interested in creating architecture that connects people through context-driven design and meaningful spatial experiences.
WINNERS
All winning projects will be showcased on various websites, in magazines, and across architectural platforms. Additionally, they may feature prominently in national and international architectural exhibitions and events.
Gallery of Submissions
A showcase of visionary talents from around the world, this gallery presents innovative and thought-provoking designs for the Digital Heritage Museum in Cairo, Egypt.
We appreciate all those who dedicated their time, materials, and resources to the competition. These supports and contributions were instrumental in creating a unique and enriching experience for all participants.
