Culture venue, Egypt, 2019
Client
Studio Seilern Architects
Architecture
Studio Seilern Architects
CGI images
Panoptikon
Deliverables
CGI Still shots
Design-supporting visuals
Referencing Ancient Egypt architecture, the design features 3 L-shaped colonnades encasing a Conference Centre and a Concert Hall, with impressive scale and a purposeful combination of positive and negative spaces.
The selected views were intended to showcase the key features: the Colonnade, the Plaza during a projection of Lawrence of Arabia, the Celebrity Access (red carpet drop-off), a Hero image of the building framed by sky and pool, plus an interior view of the Concert Hall.
The project’s success relied on the delivery of long-term value and wonder to its future guests. Perception of what is close or far and the illumination underwent everyone’s scrutiny. Considering the size and simplicity of the project, our shared ambition was to achieve impeccable imagery, with flawless details and masterful control of all nooks and crannies.
We synced into the natural rhythm of the project, creating a space of freedom for the architects’ 3D model to develop and evolve.
Taking advantage of the ongoing development of the 3D model, we prepared photomontage assets for the 3D scenes, picking and cropping out people to create a diverse entourage of artists, moviemakers, cinephile guests, or a more general public for the daytime images.
After the definition of the model, the project entered the design-completion stage with materiality exploration. We were commissioned a second set of CGIs to test and illustrate finishes. We rendered versions of the Concert Hall with various types of interior or exterior cladding to support final design choices. The Hall’s transparent facade needed to “glow from within”, so we visualized different real-market materials for the designers to see the outcomes.
The Colonnade, a “forest” of ribbed columns, pointed arches, and white marble cladding, got its perfect illumination through CG light testing. With an abundance of whites, the project needed contrast, so our visuals supported the architects’ search for black counterpoints. For an idyllic, turquoise oasis effect, the pools in the Plaza got to be examined through renders of different materials, lighting, and depths.
The inner courtyard forms a splendid Film Plaza. Multiple access points ensure hassle-free logistics and a majestic entrance for celebrities.
With storytelling based on carefully selected composition and characters, the imagery yields familiar emotions such as making an entrance, being in awe, seeing and being seen, feeling sheltered, and paying one’s respects to guests. We were deeply inspired by the legendary Egyptian hospitality that revolves around tourists’ well-being.
Studio Seilern Architects were contextually-inspired and arranged a multifunctional platform for guests to gather and manifest their cultural interests, turning the project into a significant landmark of the “El Gouna” exclusive Red Sea destination.