Design Avenue Curates Aisha Fahmy Palace as a Journey of Memory

Aisha Fahmy Palace, a 20th-century landmark at the heart of Zamalek, has long been intertwined with the lives of the neighbourhood. Each visitor carries their own memory of the palace, whether a fleeting impression of its gardens or a recollection of its elegant interiors. This year, as part of the Zamalek district of Cairo Design Week, 'The Design Avenue' curated the palace programme, exploring memory through their concept “Liminal: Between Memories”. “Liminal spaces are about those in-between moments,” explains Mohamed Talaia, Creative Director and Managing Partner of The Design Avenue, “where experiences shift, familiar forms take on new meaning, and visitors are invited to pause and reflect.

The installations created or realised in collaboration by 'The Design Avenue' unfold as a journey, guiding visitors from the palace gardens to its interiors. At the entrance, 'Pearl Re-imagined', created by 'The Design Avenue' with Qatari Diar as the client, introduces visitors to the theme of memory. Its shell-inspired pavilion layers and interplay of light echo the Nile’s historic role as a carrier of goods and culture. Furniture and textiles reinterpret traditional materials in fluid, contemporary forms, while select artworks from Tam Gallery complement the pavilion’s narrative. “With Pearl Re-imagined, we wanted to connect the history of pearl harvesting in Qatar with the memory of the Nile,” says Talaia.

In front of it, 'Sailing Threads', designed by 'The Design Avenue' with carpets provided by Kahhal 1871, situates a felucca within the grounds. The installation immediately links visitors to the river that defines Cairo’s life, creating a sense of movement and place.

Further along, 'When the Nile Takes Shape', realised in collaboration with Dr Greiche, transforms glass and stone into layered, undulating forms that trace the river’s shifting banks. Positioned in the transition space between the garden installations and the interior, the work guides visitors through a reflective moment. Talaia reflects, “We wanted visitors to feel the river’s movement through the space, to sense its fluidity and rhythm as they moved between the installations.”

Finally, at the palace entrance, 'Intertwined Botanica', designed with Flower Bar and lit by 3 Brothers, threads greenery through the architecture. A subtle dialogue emerges between built form and greenery, as plants climb through the palace’s rigid frames with gentle persistence. It evokes Zamalek’s history of gardens and tree canopies, showing how memory and place converge and how urban life and nature can coexist in harmony. Blue structural elements echo the palace’s stained-glass windows, while climbing plants reference Zamalek’s heritage as a district defined by gardens.

Taken together, these installations exemplify 'The Design Avenue’s' approach to spatial storytelling, combining material, light, and form to create a journey that lingers in the threshold between memory and discovery. Led by Mohamed Talaia, Karim Shoukry, Karen Fadel, and Mohamed Ali, the studio has spent over fifteen years shaping interiors and experiences across the region, and at Aisha Fahmy Palace, they have turned a historic site into a living exploration of memory, place, and imagination.