AUC Presents Rare Book Collection at Cairo Design Week

AUC showcased its Rare Book Collection and Special Collections Library (RBSCL) at the second edition of Cairo Design Week (CDW) on March 1.

CDW was first held in 2022 as a city-wide public showcase of the best Egyptian design, architecture, furnishings, and fashion. This year’s edition started on February 23 and ended on March 2, taking place in three different districts: the Cairo Citadel, Heliopolis, and Downtown Cairo.

The RBSCL at AUC enhances research and teaching by preserving and providing access to primary sources on Egypt, the Middle East, and beyond, focusing on areas like Egyptology, Islamic art, and travel literature. It also houses significant archival collections reflecting modern Egyptian society, culture, and intellectual life.

The RBSCL presentation took place at the Police Museum Plaza at the Citadel of Cairo and was connected to several installations on display, the most prominent of which was titled, “Citadel of Cairo: Seat of Design Power,” led by Architect Waleed Arafa. Arafa is also the founder and principal of the architecture firm Dar Arafa.

“Our presentation highlights how RBSCL curators and library collections supported the creation of Arafa’s design installation and how the library can assist all manner of researchers,” said Senior Instructor and Associate Dean of the RBSCL Stephen Urgola.

Urgola is the AUC archivist, and he oversees its historical records and leads various archival initiatives, such as the “University on the Square: Documenting Egypt’s 21st Century Revolution” project. 

During the event, Arafa gave a speech emphasizing how information and libraries in the world of design are crucial, stressing their vital role in inspiring creativity and driving innovation within the field.

“Design, for me, is the process of narrowing down an infinite number of possibilities to solve a problem to a finite number that ticks all the boxes: an optimal solution. How are you going to do this? You need information, you need facts, you need to find certain analyses. Where do we find this information? Libraries,” said Arafa.

His remarks highlighted the significance of utilizing these resources to enhance design processes, allowing designers to access a variety of perspectives and improve their work.

“AUC boasts a collection that is unparalleled anywhere in the world, especially if we are talking about photography or the regional architectural collection,” said Arafa.

The RBSCL’s involvement in Cairo Design Week did not end at Arafa’s installation; it was also involved with interior designer Emma James, the Nadim Group, and AUCians’ graphic design projects.

The projects consulted the curators of RBSCL for the selection of research materials, including travelers’ accounts, sketches, drawings, books on astrology from the Medieval Islamic era, photographs, and historical magazines. The graphic design class projects primarily focused on historical magazines, rare books, Egypt’s botanical life and gardens, and rare maps.

“These four projects aim to show how you can preserve heritage and revive it in a modern way that appeals to the public and the new generation,” said Assistant Director for Special Projects and Research in the RBSCL Eman Morgan.

The connection of these four installations to the RBSCL underlines its uniqueness and further signifies research and information as a vital part of design. Whether it is graphic design or architectural design, these rare books were integral for the inspiration of the projects.

“Any successful artwork should start with very insightful research in different materials such as maps, magazines, books, or antique artifacts, and all of those are present in the RBSCL,” said Morgan.