Thomson Perrett & Lobb, the international golf course architecture practice founded by five times Open Champion Peter Thomson with partners Ross Perrett and Tim Lobb, has won the contract to design what is set to be one of the most dramatic new desert courses of recent times, on hills overlooking Egypt’s ancient Pyramids.
New Giza, a massive 600-hectare site just 20km from Cairo, will be a landmark development for Egypt combining luxury residential areas, five-star hotel, restaurants, shopping, spa, sporting facilities, parks – and a world class golf course. Set on jagged desert hills and utilising a deep cut quarry with sheer cliffs, the championship course at New Giza is set to be one of the most spectacular in the Middle East.
Peter Thomson, who recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of his Open Championship victory at Royal Liverpool, said, “New Giza is an iconic site to build a golf course. The striking combination of rugged desert, views of the Pyramids and a world class golf course will give it instant recognition.”
TPL, which was selected by Egyptian property developer GRID from a shortlist of five international course architecture companies, was also awarded the contract to design the new course at El Ein Bay, the luxury Red Sea resort boasting the closest beach to Cairo.
Design work on both projects has begun and construction will commence in autumn 2006 with New Giza expected to open for play in 2008.
Course designer Tim Lobb, who will lead the New Giza project, said, “We have a wonderfully dramatic landscape with the Pyramids for a backdrop, so it is a very special site. The movement of the land is fantastic and there will be outstanding views across the desert. There is also a deep quarry with sheer sides which we will restore and make a unique feature – it will be a very exciting course to view and play.”
Master planner, architect and course designer Ross Perrett, who will work closely with GRID to integrate the golf course into the overall development plan for New Giza, said, “TPL has worked in countries all over the world, but this is an extraordinary development that will create a landmark for Egypt and the region as a whole. I am particularly impressed with GRID’s attention to detail in town planning and landscaping – New Giza is going to be a beautiful place to live and visit, with green areas, trees, parks, lakes and, of course, a world class golf course.”
New Giza is expected to take five years to complete. Meanwhile, the development at El Ein Bay on the magnificent Red Sea coast, just an hour’s drive from Cairo, is now in its final stage. The luxury residential areas, which are largely completed and sold out, are set to benefit from a new 6,100m resort style golf course and practice academy, plus a 120-room hotel, tennis academy and other leisure facilities.
Mr Mahmoud el Gammal, chairman of El Ein Bay developers Galalah, a sister company of GRID, said, “We selected TPL to work with us on the developments at New Giza and El Ein Bay because we were impressed with the quality of the company’s previous work and the level of professional cooperation we have received. TPL will not only be designing outstanding golf courses, they will be working alongside our architect to ensure the golf courses fit seamlessly into the master plans for both developments.”
Thomson Perrett & Lobb www.tpl.eu.com
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