ENR 2025 Global Best Projects
Award of Merit, Renovation/Restoration: Suez Canal International Museum
The team approached rehabilitation with an emphasis on prevention, foresight and protection of heritage.
Suez Canal International Museum
Ismailia, Egypt
Award of Merit, Renovation/Restoration
Submitted by The Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co.)
Owner: Suez Canal Authority
Lead Design Firm: Center for Archeology and Environmental Engineering - Faculty of Engineering - Cairo University
Contractor: The Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co.)
The rehabilitation of the Suez Canal Museum in Ismailia, Egypt, represents a “pioneering model” for integrating advanced technologies with heritage restoration, according to The Arab Contractors. Originally constructed by the French in 1862, the museum—which spans 10,000 sq meters and comprises three historic buildings—serves as the headquarters of the Suez Canal Co.
Working with Cairo University’s Engineering Center for Archeology and Environment—which led the project’s design—contractors and design firms emphasized early planning, continuous risk assessment and close coordination with heritage and governmental bodies as keys to success. Also, use of 3D laser scanning allowed for creating a digital twin of the original structure.
To reinforce structural elements without compromising heritage integrity, the team applied lightweight steel framing systems and non-invasive anchoring techniques. Additionally, a custom-designed self-compacting concrete mix was tailored to mirror the building’s original materials in color and texture.
The end result, says Arab Contractors, is a transformation of “this historic edifice into a state-of-the-art museum that bridges Egypt’s rich past with its cultural future.”
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