In a bold statement of architectural activism and community engagement, Pergola, a ten-metre-tall outdoor theatre and arts hub, has risen in Agouza Children’s Park, Giza, right beside Cairo’s 6th of October Bridge. A collaboration between CLUSTER (Cairo Lab for Urban Studies), THISS Studio, and Orient Productions, Pergola is more than an installation: it’s a concerted effort to reclaim public space, spark cultural life, and champion sustainable design.
A Beacon in the Urban Jungle
Cairo faces a growing challenge: green, publicly accessible spaces are shrinking. In this context, Pergola’s location is deeply symbolic. Situated in one of the few remaining public parks, the structure is deliberately placed in direct visual opposition to the towering billboards that line the nearby bridge. Its fire-engine red silhouette is unmissable, a civic beacon demanding attention in a commercialized urban landscape.
By doing so, Pergola doesn’t just provide a performance stage , it reasserts the value of public space as a place for gathering, reflection, and community life.
Design Rooted in Community
The design of Pergola draws inspiration from traditional bandstands: open, welcoming, and flexible. But its program is modern and ambitious. Equipped with a lighting rig, speakers, and a small backstage, the structure supports performances, film screenings, concerts, and community events.
Photography by Georges & Samuel Mohsen — The GS Studio.
When not hosting events, the cantilevered canopy provides shaded seating. Removable swings hang from its frame, inviting playful interaction from children and adults alike.
This was not a top-down project. Over six months, CLUSTER and THISS Studio ran co-design workshops with local residents, students, and park stakeholders. Through model-making and open dialogue, the final design reflects the real needs and aspirations of the community.
Sustainability in Form and Material
Pergola’s environmental ambition is central to its identity. Aside from its steel frame, much of the structure is made from recycled plastic. Waste collected from the Nile and construction sites was repurposed by local innovators — VeryNile, ReBlox, and TileGreen — into floor tiles, bricks, and shading elements.
Photography by Georges & Samuel Mohsen — The GS Studio.
This is not just symbolic reuse: it’s a powerful demonstration of how architecture in Cairo can embrace circular economy principles, reducing waste while creating something beautiful, expressive, and functional.
A Stage for Culture and Climate
Pergola opened in October 2025 during the Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival (D-CAF), curated by Orient Productions. The launch featured a weekend of performance, dance, music, and storytelling, a celebration of community, creativity, and resilience.
Over the following six months, it hosts a program of free events centered on sustainability. From folklore concerts and contemporary dance to clown shows and film screenings, the programming is designed to engage diverse audiences while centering environmental awareness.
Architecture as Resistance — and Hope
Pergola is more than a structure: it’s a statement. In a rapidly transforming city, it shows that architecture can act as a tool of resistance ,reclaiming public ground, weaving culture into everyday urban life, and promoting an ecologically conscious future.
Sash Scott of THISS Studio said the project reflects “a shared commitment to maintaining and creating community-driven, culturally active public space in the heart of Cairo.” For CLUSTER, the vision is clear: design should contribute to a more inclusive, balanced urban regeneration, resisting purely commercial development.
In October 2025, Georges and Samuel Mohsen collaborated with the London-based practice THISS Studio to document Pergola, capturing its bold presence, material innovation, and evolving relationship with the surrounding community. A collaboration that aligns deeply with Georges & Samuel’s ongoing work in story-driven architectural photography and community-focused documentary storytelling. Pergola is not only a visually striking intervention; it is a lived public space shaped by participation, sustainability, and cultural expression. the intersection of architecture and the social life it inspires. Pergola becomes more than a pavilion: it becomes a story about reclaiming public space, nurturing collective identity, and documenting the evolving soul of Cairo
Photography by Egyptian architectural and documentary photographers Georges & Samuel (The GS Studio)
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