Dezeen architecture reporter Amy Peacock explores SOM’s vision for Alam Al Roum, a new coastal city on Egypt’s North Coast, where an extensive network of lagoons, climate-responsive landscapes, and public spaces shapes a new approach to Mediterranean living.
Designed for Qatari Diar, the 20.6-square-kilometer master plan stretches along 7.2 kilometers of Mediterranean coastline near Marsa Matrouh. The design extends the experience of the Mediterranean inland through a network of swimmable lagoons, connecting beachfront and lagoon-side neighborhoods, walkable town centers, resorts, cultural destinations, and public spaces. A central boulevard connects an inland mobility hub to an international marina, forming the city’s principal urban spine.
The plan includes 22 kilometers of seawater-connected lagoons, with strategies to support stormwater management and coastal resilience. Living shorelines, wetlands, stabilized dunes, and riparian buffers are envisioned to help protect waterfront areas, while buildings and public spaces are oriented to take advantage of coastal breezes and sunlight.
Envisioned as a year-round destination, Alam Al Roum includes a mix of residential neighborhoods, hospitality, education, business, and recreation. At the heart of the city, a waterfront downtown will bring together a cultural pier, lighthouse, amphitheater, yacht club, mosque, and markets, creating a vibrant setting for public life along the Mediterranean.
“The Mediterranean is home to some of the world’s great cities, shaped over centuries by climate, culture and economic forces,” said SOM Principal Thomas Hussey. “Alam Al Roum presents a rare opportunity to imagine a new city from the ground up, one that responds to the realities of climate change while offering an exceptional quality of life.”
The master plan brings together SOM’s expertise in urban planning and design, architecture, and interior design, in collaboration with landscape consultants SWA, marina specialists Marina Projects Ltd, and engineering consultants setec.
