What if neighbourhoods around Cairo had a pyramid nestled in between the stone structures every few blocks? Or perhaps buildings featured likenesses of the Sphinx sitting gloriously atop their roof? These musings of an imagined modern landscape merged with symbols of the country’s past were brought to life visually by Egyptian architect and conceptual artist Hassan Ragab. Using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool, MidJourney, Ragab re-imagines the capital’s urban landscape by incorporating elements borrowed from the country’s rich heritage. The images are striking in their realism. Sphinx Visits the Capital Ragab’s architectural background is felt in his artwork. Having worked as a conceptual designer and artist in the film, music, and fashion industries, it is his pioneering spirit that led him to dabble in AI tools. The architect started fiddling with DALL.E 2, which is an AI image-generator, similar to Midjourney when it was still in its early version. Both these tools have been hailed for their use in design, with DALL.E 2 geared more towards designers looking to integrate abstract ideas into their designs whereas Midjourney is adept at producing various styles of designs efficiently and at a quick…
