Set beside the off-ramp of Cairo’s 6th of October Bridge, Pergola is a ten-metre-tall outdoor theatre and community arts space created in collaboration with CLUSTER (Cairo Lab for Urban Studies, Training and Environmental Research) and Orient Productions. The project forms part of Anhar: Climate and Culture Platform, a regional platform funded by the British Council and Art Jameel supporting artistic responses to environmental challenges across the Middle East.

In a city where green spaces are rapidly disappearing, Pergola transforms a small park in Giza into a stage for culture, dialogue and collective action. Conceived to stand in visual opposition to the billboards that dominate the surrounding bridge, its vivid red form reclaims attention for the public realm, creating a focal point for community life, performance and reflection within an increasingly privatised urban landscape.

Material innovation sits at the heart of the project. Working with local pioneers VeryNile and Reblox, waste plastic collected from the Nile and nearby construction sites was remade into floor tiles, shading devices and striking red feature walls, demonstrating how recycled materials can drive a new architectural language for Cairo: one that is expressive, low-carbon and deeply contextual.

Developed through a year-long co-design process led by CLUSTER and THISS Studio, the project engaged local residents, students and park stakeholders through workshops and model-making sessions, ensuring the final design responded directly to community needs and aspirations.

Pergola launched as the opening stage for the Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival (D-CAF), curated by Orient Productions, and continues as a civic platform for cultural programming and environmental awareness. Both landmark and gathering space, Pergola embodies a broader vision for Cairo’s public life where art, architecture and ecology converge to shape more inclusive and sustainable urban futures.