The Egyptian government is working to repurpose the Tahrir Complex, the most famous government building in the heart of the capital, Cairo, specifically in Tahrir Square, in order to benefit from it on several levels.
A consortium of international developers and investors, including Oxford Capital Group, Global Ventures Group and Al Otaiba Investments have signed an agreement with the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, headed by Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala al-Saeed, to develop and repurpose the building.
The Sovereign Fund’s strategy for this project includes turning the building into a mixed-use development building (hotel, commercial center, business hub), in harmony with the nature and development efforts undertaken by the state in downtown Cairo and Khedivial Cairo.
According to Oxford Capital Group, the development plan of the Tahrir Complex includes changing the name of the building to Cairo House and turning it into a luxury hotel and a mixed-use project, with investments exceeding $200 million, which the developers described as a “catalyst to a reimagined downtown Cairo” and to future investment in the Egyptian economy.
According to Oxford Capital Group’s website, “Cairo House will include over 450 luxury lifestyle hotel rooms and serviced apartments, multiple world-class dining and entertainment venues, and over 85,000 square feet of meeting and events space, including Cairo’s largest rooftop venue."
The developers also seek to build a structural lotus pavilion, an indoor/outdoor special events and weddings venue, which will provide an additional 15,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Tahrir Complex is one of the oldest buildings in central Cairo. It was built in the middle of the last century to gather government departments in one place. It consists of a huge building built on an area of 28,000 square meters, 55 meters high, and includes 14 floors with 1,356 rooms.
The building was built by architect Mohamed Kamal Ismail, one of the pioneers of Egyptian architecture during the first half of the 20th century. The construction decision of the complex was signed in 1949 by King Farouk (the last king of the monarchy period in Egypt), and its aim was to gather government departments in one place to be the first service complex in the Middle East at the time.
The nature of the building's design is suitable for investment, whether as a hotel or an administrative building, due to its area and the number of rooms in it, as well as the presence of a void in the middle of the building, which is an important element in hotel projects.