manuel alvarez diestro captures housing estates transforming egypt’s deserts
(above) gated communities in the desert outside of cairo

 

 

 

as the egyptian population keeps growing, more housing is required to satisfy the needs of all social classes — from lower-income families occupying basic right angled construction, to the very wealthy living within ravishing gated communities. however, with the demand of these building needs, the cities are becoming extremely populated, thus the only alternative for developers is to expand outwards into the desert, where there is plenty of terrain.

 

having lived in egypt for some time, manuel alvarez diestro witnessed the disastrous consequences of human interventions in the desert, but also the subjective beauty in the transformed landscape. her series ‘new cairo’ captures the conquest of the desert outside of egypt’s main cities which are slowly being overtaken with new housing complexes. diestro’s images express the mood of isolation being interrupted — where the land mirrors the empty and impersonal, unfinished constructions that resemble ghost towns have been erected.

manuela alvarez diestro housing egypt desert designboom
new housing blocks in aswan

 

manuela alvarez diestro housing egypt desert designboom
housing towers in cairo

 

manuela alvarez diestro housing egypt desert designboom
summer houses in hurghada

 

manuela alvarez diestro housing egypt desert designboom
two housing towers in cairo

 

manuela alvarez diestro housing egypt desert designboom
tower block outside Cairo

 

manuela alvarez diestro housing egypt desert designboom
construction in ras sudr

 

manuela alvarez diestro housing egypt desert designboom
houses in cairo’s desert

 

manuela alvarez diestro housing egypt desert designboom
residential blocks not far from alexandria

 

manuela alvarez diestro housing egypt desert designboom
housing towers in cairo

 

manuela alvarez diestro housing egypt desert designboom
gated commnunities in cair’s desert

 

manuela alvarez diestro housing egypt desert designboom
towers outside cairo

 

manuela alvarez diestro new cairo designboom
the deserts of egypt being overrun by housing developments…

 

manuela-alvarez-diestro-new-cairo-designboom-01
the growth of cities within the desert landscape

 

manuela alvarez diestro new cairo designboom
the resulting developments resemble ghostowns

 

manuela alvarez diestro new cairo designboom
the photographer captures the boundary in which the land mirrors the empty and the unfinished constructions

 

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manuela alvarez diestro new cairo housing
 
manuela alvarez diestro new cairo housing
 
manuela alvarez diestro new cairo housing
 
manuela alvarez diestro new cairo housing
 
manuela alvarez diestro new cairo housing
 
manuela alvarez diestro new cairo housing
 
manuela alvarez diestro new cairo housing
 
manuela alvarez diestro new cairo housing
 

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.