The mixture of different social strata and professions, seamless merging of residential and commercial space interspersed with small workshops as well as a vivid cultural scene give Downtown Cairo its particular character.

Vittoria Capresi and Barbara Pampe, two architects and founders of baladilab, have devoted their book Downtown Cairo. Architecture and Stories to this fascinating part of town. Literally looking behind the facades, they have embarked on a journey of rediscovery that creates a new understanding of Cairo’s city centre.

The results of this exploration are presented in their new book, which draws attention to several distinctive landmarks of Downtown Cairo, such as its oldest multi-storey building, the Hotel Viennoise, the Immobilia, and the Egyptian Museum, in addition to less well-known, but architecturally and historically interesting structures.

What purposes did these buildings serve originally, and how are they used today? What are their potentials for reuse or conversion in the future? These are among the questions that the authors not only address in their book, but in a panel discussion on 2 October in the Goethe-Institut Cairo.