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Contemporary Egyptian Architects

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One of the greatest architects of recent history in the Middle East is without a doubt Hassan Fathy. While his ideas have inspired future generations of architects the world over his greatest impact has been in his home country of Egypt. Though not all the architects of the new generation share his exact vision many have embraced his view that the vernacular architecture has an inherent value as part of the Egyptian identity. While some of these architects may translate that into a superficial use of symbols and decorations there are others striving for a deeper search and reflection on the roots and meaning of Egyptian architecture.

Egyptian Architects at Home and Abroad

Although many of Fathy's projects failed, his ideas were championed and widely disseminated, largely due to his writings and teaching career. Many of this new generation of Egyptian architects were actually former pupils, some of whom have have traveled with his ideas to practice beyond the borders of Egypt. One such student is Abdel Ahmed Sultan (see success story) who heads the firm AAS Associates International in Tokyo. Two years after studying with Fathy, he designed the unbuilt national theatre in Cairo (1968) with Fathy's ideas in mind. In 1974 he moved to Japan and continued to consider culture and context in his designs there and throughout the world with his projects and often cites Fathy as his inspiration and mentor.

Another well known architect who carried on Fathy's vision is Medhat Hassan Shaheen who is currently the head of a firm in Canada. Shaheen, who designed a library and science building for the American University of Cairo in the 60s, focused on the technical aspects of vernacular architecture including the use of reinforced concrete.* Kamal El-Kafrawi (see archnet bio) is yet another well-known architect that was influenced by Fathy's concepts. El-Kafrawi designed the University of Qatar paying close attention to the cultural context of the project and even included the use of wind towers in the air condtioning system of the campus.** An architect who has been more obviously influenced by Fathy is Abdel Wahed el-Wakil (see archnet bio) who worked with him for several years. During the first award cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (see AKAA 1978-80) El-Wakil was recognized for his Halawa House in Agamy, Egypt which is not only visually reminiscent of Fathy's designs but the building process involved a close working relationship between the architect, client, and local Bedouin craftsmen which is similar to Fathy's methods.

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