JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE, VOL. 66, NO. 3, JUNE 2019, PP. 329-353 FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, CAIRO UNIVERSITY REBRANDING CAIRO’S DOWNTOWN CINEMAS: CAN PERFORMANCES RESURRECT ABUNDANT HERITAGE? 1 S. S. ASHOUR ABSTRACT Cairo’s Downtown cinemas were once masterpieces of architecture, screening golden age movies plus witnessing important events. Nowadays, few are still working, while many are ready to be demolished. The best conservation for historic buildings is managing change caused by time. One way to make this happen is smart engaging re- use, thus continue to retain value to current and future generations. Local government and private companies have tried to resuscitate Cairo’s silver screens. This revitalization started with simple face lifting, then developed to rebranding with creative re-use introducing new functions. A key to this creative re-use is across disciplines; new forms of art, music, and media performances. This paper aims to explore four re-use performances bringing the insight of art and media into the field of heritage management. First, “Nassim El Raqs” organized “When dance meets heritage” in Theatre Cinema Eldorado. Second, Radio Theatre re-used to host live- shows; “Al-Bernameg” and “AblaFahita”. Third, Zawya - located in cinema Odeon - launched as the first art-house cinema in Egypt. Last, Teatro Independent Theatre opened their interactive performance “The Metamorphosis” at cinema Elkahira. This paper ends with a framework for rebranding cinemas; comprises both the challenges facing the re-use and proposing community-oriented marketing strategy. KEYWORDS: Cairo’s Downtown, Re-use, Rebranding, Performance, Media. 1. THE OPENING SCENE; FROM THE GLORY OF THE PAST TO THE DETORIERATION OF THE PRESENT Cairo’s Downtown cinemas were once masterpieces of architecture, screening golden age movies from around the world plus witnessing important historical events. Most cinema theatres in Cairo were built in the Art Deco architectural style with its sleek forms, geometric patterns and strong lines. Many were built between 1 Assistant Professor, Architecture Department, Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, [email protected] S. S. ASHOUR 1935 and 1945. Usually, the plans and blueprints are sent from Hollywood. Often there is a foreigner architect in partnership with a local architect or local firms. Many names from the first party like Gaston Rossi, Tho341 mas Lamb, Garo Balyon, and Leonard Allen on the other side, examples of the national part like the local firm of architects Dominioni, Rossi & Salama or Max Edrei. Some of them were open-air theatres with no roof operating during summer months, while others were closed movie theatres [1]. All those cinemas and movie theatres once were prestigious, only screening first-run movies especially well known American films. They were the premièring films at the same time as in the United States. Metro cinema was the showcase for Metro Goldwyn Mayer MGM movies in Cairo where the opening movie was “Gone with the Wind”, and showed only American films until the 1960s. Cairo Palace cinema was the exclusive home to first run Twentieth Century Fox films in Cairo, and in 1953, the first film released in widescreen Cinemascope “The Robe” was placed there. Diana Palace witnessed the birth of the first musical film: “Song of the Heart” (translated Onshoudat el fouad in Arabic). On the other hand, cinemas beheld many great important political events, as well as small intimate memories. For instance, Metro cinema witnessed two significant incidents; the first the exploration of a bomb by the Muslim brothers in 1947, then in 1952 it was totally destroyed during the Cairo fire, known as Black Saturday. Before any film projection, cinemas used to play the royal anthem till the mid 1950s, and then it was replaced by the national anthem of the Republic [1]. Sometimes in the intermission in the movie, a piano player played as classical entertainment. In 1980s, Metro Cinema hosted festivals for children every Friday. Reputations take time to build but can be shattered in seconds. The deterioration of cinemas started with the appearance of Television in the 1970s then Internet in 1990s, which led gradually to the disappearance of the theatre industry. Moreover, cinemas in shopping malls were attracting more audience with the latest technology and new seating, while some well-known cinemas either ate up in an accidental fire, an incendiary bomb or witnessed harassment incidents, especially in 330 REBRANDING CAIRO’S DOWNTOWN CINEMAS CAN PERFORMANCES…. feasts. This deterioration was accelerated when municipalities prohibited the demotion of any cinema except when building another cinema on the same plot. Thus, some purchased those cinemas and stopped screening movies in them to change activity into much needed services or get them demolished. For instance, the demolition of Faten Hamama cinema started July 2018 despite being closed with for sale sign since 2015. Nowadays, few are still working, while many are crumbling or abundant to get ready to be demolished. The remaining walls struggle to keep standing; their walls are hidden behind shops for cars spare parts, street vendors, advertising billboards, not to mention garbage and leaking sewage systems. Many were totally demolished and replaced by multi-story residential or office building. Some cinemas have been converted into garages, shops, and storage for car repairs or ceramic companies as shown in Fig.1. (a) (b) (c) (d) Fig. 1. (a): Al-Ahram Cinema, then Sherif Cinema, then Al-Zahir Club turned into a garage. (b): Rialto open-air cinema turned into a store for cinema parts. (c) The demolition of Faten Hamama cinema. (d): The proposal of the apartement building to replace the cinema. 331 S. S. ASHOUR Those still working downgraded to the category of second-class or even third- class cinemas, screening only Egyptian movies, often double features to sometimes absent audience. In addition, they had their façades or interior or both completely changed like The Cosmos and Le Pigale – commonly known as Pigeal - at Emad Eldin Street. Others had a complete make over in the design of spaces by following the multiplex model; dividing the main auditorium into a number of smaller auditoria with smaller screens with the latest technology and seating arrangements. Moreover, deterioration extended to infect the furniture, the luxuries seating, and the light fixture. 2. SMART STRATEGIES FOR CREATIVE RE-USE OF ABUNDANT CINEMAS Cinemas were the affordable leisure attractions and Downtown Cairo used to be one of the most important hubs for Egyptian cinema-goers especially between the 1930s and the 1970s. It was said that the Greek brothers Ra’is - as a kind of monopoly - owned most Downtown Cinemas in the 1930s [2]. Worth mentioning the effective role of the establishment of Egyptian financial institutions such as Bank Misr and its companies including Misr Studio (for film production). In the 1960s, many cinemas were nationalized under the auspices of Egyptian General Organization for Cinema. It is believed that this was the beginning of the deterioration of many cinemas due to mismanagement and corruption inside the industry. The cinema houses were incorporated to Misr Film Production and Distribution Company by a direct decision from President Gamal Abdel Nasser, and then transferred to Misr Company for Sound, Light and cinema in 2002. However, some cinemas were completely renewed and were given to investors with contracts that provide managing the cinema in the system of usufruct for a long period. Many Arab investors appeared in the scene, some cinemas flourished while other well-known cinemas closed silently starting the mid 1980s; it was the more profit-driven and commercial period. Nowadays, large entrepreneurs or the government owns most of the cinemas in Downtown Cairo. Youssef Shazli - the Managing Director of cinema Zawya – and Alia Ayman – the Head Curator –summarized the difficulties facing any new start-up willing to 332 REBRANDING CAIRO’S DOWNTOWN CINEMAS CAN PERFORMANCES…. collaborate with those two owners “the former have not been receptive to the idea of a potential collaboration, while the later is very difficult to access.” [3].Two more reasons can be added; the legitimate and financial issue. Legitimate comprises legal municipal issues, while financial issue here is two-fold; first money to cover the space renovation and the financial plan to manage the new activities with stability self-reliance without compromise on the content. Moreover, Mohamed Elshahed adds three more points that the adaptive reuse of old buildings needs; “1. An interested investor who sees the value in salvaging an old factory, warehouse, apartment block or department store. 2. Laws and regulations, municipal oversight that guarantees the transformation of buildings into their new functions without compromising safety or historic value. 3. Professionals, contractors, and designers who have the needed skills to do the job. Of course all of the involved parties in this process need to have a little imagination.” [4]. Here comes the main challenge of this paper; proposing innovative functions to transform those abundant cinemas into valuable assets thus attract investors and save existing buildings under the process of urban sprawl. In addition, the abundant cinemas can be transformed into vibrant urban catalysts for urban renewal strategies of Downtown Cairo. Entrepreneurs, developers and architects should see those assets as opportunities rather than eyesores. Generally speaking, the best preservation for historic buildings is managing change caused by time, not preventing them. One way to make this happen is smart engaging re-use to be enjoyed by more people, thus continue to retain value and remain relevant to current and future generations. Australian government’s department of the environment and heritage points out four benefits of adaptively reusing heritage buildings: environmental, social, economic and prompting innovation. First, reusing heritage buildings retain their embodied energy thus guarantee environmental sustainability than entirely new construction.