Contemporary Architecture in Egypt

AbstractAt the end of the 20th century, and as weapproach the beginning of the thirdmillennium, a moment of reflection andcontemplation is really needed. In the pastdecade there have been radical changesin architectural practices in Egypt. It hasbecome common to observe that majorshifts are occurring in the realms ofarchitecture and urbanization. These shiftsare dramatically changing the public faceof Egyptian architecture. On the one hand,there have been changes that will definitelyalter the role architects and planners canplay. These are due to the emanation ofnew architectural services, complexbuilding types and activities, and bilateraland multinational projects. It is evidentthat the profession in Egypt is beingdiffused into several new activities androles. There emerge specialists inarchi tectural programming, costanalysis/control, office and constructionmanagement, landscape architecture,client relations, research, real estatedevelopment and architectural marketing.On the other hand, we have witnessedmore involvement of local architects andurban planners, together with internationalagencies, government, NGOs, and theprivate sector in urban development,historic preservation, and sustainableurban conservation projects.

A wide range of innovative designsrepresenting disparate trends can also beobserved. Among these t rends,movements toward green design and amore culturally and environmentallyresponsive architecture are implicitly andslowly dawning. Despite these honest

attempts to “tame” architectural and urbandevelopment processes and the capacityof Egyptian architects to manage individualbuildings, the overall built environment isincreasingly mismanaged, and the processof architectural education has been slowto respond to these shifts.

This paper investigates the current statusof architecture and urbanism in Egypt. Itbases its argument on a survey of therecent developments in the field, linkingthese developments to socioeconomiccontexts and the architectural trends inthe nineties, and examining the role ofdifferent actors in these processes. Thepaper relies heavily on presentingexamples of projects that exemplify variousarchitectural and design positions. Resultsof interviews with renowned Egyptianarchitects, and conclusions drawn fromquestioning architectural advertising inmajor newspapers are discussed andassociated with the overall argument. Thepaper ends with a conceptual vision forthe future of architectural profession andthe blinkered new paradigm.

Introduction

The intention of this introductory sectionis to highlight the major shifts in thecontemporary scene of Egypt with specialemphasis on the economic context withinwhich the development process takesplace. The professional and educationalcontexts of architecture and urbanism thatinform the development process arediscussed and elaborated.

The Economic Context and Its Impacton the Development Process

Ashraf M. A. Salameh,

Contemporary Architecture in Egypt

Reflections on Architecture and Urbanism of the Nineties

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Ashraf M.A. Salama: Assistent Professor ofArchitecture, Al-Azhar University, Cairo; ActingHead, Department of Architecture, MisrInternational University

During the last three decades, the Egyptianeconomy has passed through threedistinct, but related, phases. These werethe open door policy, the economic reform,and privatization. The open door policytook place during the period between 1974and 1981. It placed emphasis onencouraging the private sector, at bothregional and international levels; to developand employ new investment plans. Lawspertaining to taxes and trade have beentailored to facilitate foreign investmentsand international trade. The economicreform was the second phase thatoccupied the whole decade of the Eighties.The government policy was to developplans that create parallel directions towardboth economic and social development.To accomplish this, the government hasdesignated 50% of its total investmentsto the efforts carried out by the privatesector. The law no. 23 of the year 1989stated that the rules and foundations oflocal investment plans are to be directedto desert development, land reclamation,industrial development, housing and urbandevelopment, and tourism.[the secondphase is not clear in terms of its objectivesand mechanisms of operat ions]

The preceding two phases culminated intothe privatization era, which started in 1991.This phase emphasizes the effectiveinteraction with market dynamics as statedin the law no. 263 for the year 1991. Thelaw mentions that the holding companiesare to replace the public sector agenciesw i th t he a im o f t r ans fo rm ingpublic/government projects into privateinvestments in order to minimize and limitthe role of public sector and its interferencewith strategic projects upon which thenational economy relies. This trend hasmarkedly influenced the urbanizationprocess, which manifested itself in anintensive industrial development and awithdrawal of investment in the agriculturalsector (Hamdy, 1997). [Reasons of theshift from one phase to the other and therepercussions on the urbanization processremain unclear]

In light of the privatization process, threetypes of planning are emerging. The firstis trend planning, a type that measuresthe market needs and tends to putminimum constraints on the activities ofthe private sector. The second type isleverage planning that aims at ameliorating

Fig. 1: Residential Towers of Arab Contractors, Maadi,

Cairo.

Source: Arab Contractors Photo Labs

Ashraf M. A. Salameh

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the market performance sponsored by thepublic sector in order to improve theoperating environment for developmentprojects. Private management planningis the third type that relies on the privatesector in managing urban developmentprocesses. A redistribution of roles andpowers has been conceived. Thegovernment role is now reconsideredwhere it is supposed to be minimal inproduction and development and maximalin environmental protection. In this respect,the government role is envisaged alongthree interrelated axes: 1) To providesecurity, safety and public services, 2) Todirect the activities of the private sectorto public benefits and welfare, and 3) Tocreate employment opportunities. Thefailure of the government to fulfill theseroles resulted in the monopoly of theprivate sector to deliver these services,succumbing its operation to marketspeculation. The active and aggressiveparticipation of the private sector inhousing and service delivery led to a virtualinf lat ion and an overrated andoverestimated real estate development.Evidently, the private sector targetsstrategic locations inside the urbanperimeter of central cities for developinglarge-scale luxury commercial and office

buildings. It also directs its housing projectsof the new cities to the affluent populationand the upper middle class.

Professional and Educational MilieusAssociated with the above economiccontext, a wide range of innovative designsrepresenting disparate trends has beenmaterialized. Among these trends,movements toward green design and amore culturally and environmentallyresponsive architecture are implicitly andslowly emerging. With these honestattempts to “tame” architecture and urbandevelopment, one can assert that whilelocal architects carry a good commandon the quality of individual buildings, theoverall built environment is increasinglymismanaged. This is due to the dichotomyin which planning and architecturalprofessions exist. The two disciplines havehistorically experienced a relationship thatvar ies f rom complementar i ty tocompetitiveness, from positive to negative,and from parallelism to mere juxtaposition.The operating environments of planningand architectural practices are currentlyunder major conflicting paradigms thatcan be exemplified by these three aspects1) how it looks versus how it works, 2) the

Fig.2: The National Sporting Hall. Built for African Sports

Championship, 199


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strategic plan versus the master plan, and3) the physical city versus the economicand demographic city (Salama, 1999).

Underlying the economic developmentand the affiliated trends in planning andarchitectural practices, the educationalmilieu has simultaneously broadened andincreased in terms of the number ofprograms, graduates, current studentsenrolled in these programs, andconcomitantly, the number of teachingstaff and faculty members.

The establishment of architecturaleducation in Egypt goes back to the thirddecade of the 19th century. However, theofficial establishment of higher educationin architecture occurred in 1929. Until the1980, there were only nine departmentsof architecture that fell essentially underthe umbrella of either engineering or finearts. Some of these departments haveexperienced periods of reestablishmentor restructuring. All in all, these were CairoUniversity (1834-1929-1936), AlexandriaUniversity (1941), Fine Arts in Cairo (1910-1945), Fine Arts in Alexandria (1945), Ain

Shams University (1950), Assuit University(1957), Al/Azhar University (1964), ZagazigUniversity in Shoubra (1975), and HelwanUniversity in Mataria (1980). In additionto these nine departments, two planningprograms have been established atAl/Azhar University (1964), and CairoUniversity (1980).(Fig.1)

Accompanying the privatization processand the government plans for educationalreform, there has been sudden emergenceof several architectural programs. Duringthe period from 1989 to 1995, fivedepartments of architecture at regionaluniversities in the Delta Valley and UpperEgypt have been established. These areTanta University, Menofia University,Mansoura University, Suez CanalUniversity, and fine arts at MeniaUniversity. Three other departments ofarchitecture at private higher instituteshave been established in the same period.Also, the Arab Academy for Science andTechnology has initiated two otherdepartments, one in Alexandria (1994-1995) and a recent one in Cairo (1999).For the first time in the Egyptian History,

Fig.3 Children Library, Giza, Egypt, 1990 By Magd

Masarra.

Photo: Ashraf Salama


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privatization fully reached the academicrealm, where four private universities havebeen established based on a PresidentialDecree in 1996. These universities areMisr International University (MIU),University for Modern Science and Arts(MSA), Misr University for Science andTechnology (MUST), and OctoberUniversity.

The jump from 9 programs in 1980 to 25programs at the end of the Nineties isproblematic. The number of practicingarchitects reached 30.000 with theexpectation that the number will bedoubled in the next decade. The numberof students enrolled in the 25 programsat different grade levels is currently around5000. While the new private universitiesattempt to reconfigure the educationalprocess in terms of the knowledge contentand the way in which this content isdelivered, public universities are still usingtheir original curricula that have beendeveloped decades ago. In very few casesslight changes is taking place.

Some of the problems that can beidentified from such a system lies in the

perception of architecture as art and artalone, the lack of knowledge and thefailure to deal with the realities ofprofessional practice and to anticipate thefuture needs of society, and the gapsbetween knowledge and design andeducation and practice. In this respect,questioning the quality of the recentgraduates and the competency of currentstudents as future professionals will remaina crucial issue that imposes itself on themap of academic and professionalresearch, and will continue to occupy amajor position among the recent debates.

The Eighties: A Prologue for theNinetiesImage ability, Legibility and the Searchfor a New IdentityThe bui l t envi ronment conveysenvironmental messages that reflect innerlife, activities, and social conceptions ofthose who live in and use that environmentin association with the actions and valuesof society (Sanoff, 1991). As a society,we tend to reevaluate the meaning anddesirability of built environments ratherhastily. What was visually acceptable some

Fig.5: Example of Shops Architecture. A Commercial

Strip at Al-Obour Apartment Buildings in Cairo

Fig.4: An Example of SurfaceTreatment Architecture.

Al/Horrya Mall, Cairo, 1995

By Farouk Al-Gohary


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years ago becomes now unacceptable,and conversely what was consideredeyesore and ugly a while ago has acquiredboth value and meaning over time.However, there are visual qualities thatshould not be avoided and that shouldoccupy a major preoccupation at any giventime and place (Fig.2)

Three qualities can be identified here toreflect on the visual aspects of the Egyptianbuilt environment during the last twodecades. These qualities are image ability,legibility, and identity. Image ability is theability of an environment to create animage. Thus, built environments shouldhave certain qualities that give a highprobability of evoking a strong image insociety. Legibility is understood as theopposite of confusion. A legibleenvironment is one that is easy to readand that allows people to know theirwhereabouts (Lynch, 1960; Antoniades,1993). Identity is the collective aspect ofthe set of characteristics by which abuilding or a portion of a built environmentis definitively recognizable.

The Seventies and Eighties in Egypt havewitnessed the development of new citiesand mass housing projects have beenerected around the urban belt of most

Egyptian cities. However, many of theseprojects lacked the preceding threequalities. The entrances and exits of themajor cities are quite chaotic and the publicis starving to see visually appealingenvironments. During this period, very fewattempts have been made to create builtenvironments that would addressimageability, legibility, and identity. It isbelieved that this period was a prelude tothe Nineties, where conversely severalbuildings and housing developments havebeen built and created, emphasizingdistinctive visual images.

The question that can be raised at thispoint is: are these images appropriate inreflecting the Egyptian historic culture,local climatic conditions, or socio-economiccontexts? A partial answer can be madehere. These were honest attempts towardcreating visual quality with a matchingstyle to public taste. However, theremaining part of the answer remains achallenge to both the professional andacademic community (Fig. 3).

The Nineties:Generic Features of theTransitional PeriodWithin the last few years, there have beenradical changes in architectural practicesin Egypt. The major changes in the

Fig.6: First Residence at Giza, 1998/1999

By Consortium of International Consulting Firms

Management by Bechtel International Incorporated

Source: Medina Magazine, Issue no 1

Fig. 7: Conrad International Cairo Hotel, Cairo, 1998

By SOM and Ali Nour Eddin Nassar

Management by Bechtel International Incorporated

Source: Medina Magazine, Issue no 1


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profession of architecture can be identifiedin terms of an expansion of the scope ofpractice, an imbalance of competitionbe tween a rch i tec ts and o the rprofessionals, an emergence of bilateraland multinational projects, and finally anintensive collaboration between theg o v e r n m e n t a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a lorganizations. An understanding ofcontemporary architecture of Egypt isdependent on a discussion of the abovementioned features.

Scope of PracticeThe demand for new architectural servicesis increasing and is coupled by a growingnumber of architects, firms, recentgraduates, and architectural programs.The growth of this demand has beenaccompanied by radical shifts in the typeof these architectural services. Theprofession in Egypt is spreading intoseveral new activities and roles. Onewitnesses an emergence of specialists inarchitectural programming, cost analysisand control, construction management,landscape architecture, client relations,research, real estate development, andarchitectural marketing. These activitiesemerged with a new type of clients andrequire skills beyond the capacity of thetraditional architect. In turn, such a trendin the “industry” of architectural productionthreatens the traditional conception of therequired skills for a successful practice.

However, a more accentuated shift in therequired services may be identified in twomajor areas: interior design and “surfacetreatment” architecture. On the one handemphasis of the design of interior spaceshas replaced that of the building shell. Onthe other hand, the tendency towards“surface treatment” or façade architecturethat is mostly found in commercial buildingshas emerged from the belief among clientsthat buildings with distinctive visualappearance can excite public attention.Examples of this practice can be noticed

in several shopping malls designed andbuilt in strategic urban areas, especiallyin Cairo and Alexandria. Facadearchitecture can be seen in the groundfloor commercial strips of several old andnew housing projects, and in thecommercial strips incorporated within thefences of sporting clubs.(Fig.4-5)

Other Professionals are Competingwith ArchitectsIn the Nineties, it is widely acknowledgedthat there is an imbalance of competitionbetween architects and other specialists.One can identify two major groups thatcompete with architects; sometimes in anegative manner and other times it resultsin a positive relationship. The first groupencompasses interior designers andlandscape architects. The competitionbetween architects and interior designersstems from the overlapping issuesaddressed by each domain. Obviously,this is usually associated with buildingtypes such as office buildings and workenvironments, since they are mainly basedon organizing and designing partitions andinside walls, selection and arrangementsof furniture, and specifying equipment.Landscape architects are also competingheavily with architects especially in thedesign of outdoor environments of manytourist and recreational projects in SinaiPeninsula and the Red Sea region.

The second group of competitors includescontracting companies, constructionmanagers, and investment agencies. It isimportant to realize the sense in whichthis group challenges architects. Theyusually hire well experienced architectsto handle their design work, and, in somecases, to help them achieve their hiddenagenda.

Bilateral and Multinational Projects areOverrunningIn the architectural and real estate

Fig. 8 Headquarters of Faisal Bank, Cairo, 2000 By

Issam Hafez

Photo: Ahmed Abdel WahabFig. 9 Headquarters Mohandes Insurance Co., Cairo,

1999 By Ezzat Said

Photo: Ahmed Abdel Wahab

8 )

9 )

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development market, it is apparent thatthere are several large-scale projects thatare carried out by joint ventures companiesof consultants. In this respect, collaborationis now taking place within two manners. Itoccurs between local architectural firmsand expatriate professionals who seizework opportunities especially in the realmsof interior design and landscapearchitecture. Furthermore, teams ofinternational firms carry out some projectstotally or partially, such as S.O.M. andH.O.K. One of the examples that illustratethis feature is Conrad International CairoHotel, a multi use complex that consists ofapartments, hotel, offices, and retail spaces.There are similar projects in whichinternational firms are involved, such asFirst Residence at Giza, extension of CairoMeridien, Arcadia Mall, Soma Bay ResortsSouth of Hurgada, and many others (Fig.6-7).

Government Agencies and InternationalOrganizations are collaborating in theDevelopment ProcessIn the development process that is currentlytaking place there are several types ofprojects that have been conducted viacollaboration between government bodiesand international organizations. Threegovernment agencies appear to be activeand promising. These are the SupremeCouncil of Antiquities (SCA), GeneralOrganization of Physical Planning (GOPP),and Tourism Development Authority (TDA).It should be noted here that while some

projects are only devoting to tracingproblems and envisioning solutions, otherstake further steps and concern themselveswith the implementation of urbandevelopment plans.

The Supreme Council of Antiquities iscurrently conducting several projects incollaboration with other government bodiesand international organizations, such asUNESCO, UNDP, the Historic CitiesSupport Program of the AKTC, and severalEuropean missions from Germany, France,Italy, Belgium, and other countries. Theseprojects range from archaeologicalexcavations to restoration of historicbuildings. Old Cairo occupies a majorposition in this collaborative developmentprocess.

The Ministry of Housing represented by itstwo major organizations, GeneralOrganization for Physical Planning (GOPP),and the Housing and Building ResearchCenter (HBRC), have been very active onseveral accounts. GOPP, during the lastdecade, has developed several action plansof urban development projects around themajor cities, and has envisioned manydevelopment projects for intermediate citiesin the Delta Valley such as Damietta, andin Upper Egypt such as Assuit. Currently,HBRC is collaborating with the InternationalInstitute for Housing Studies of Netherlandsin a long term project that involves capacitybuilding of architects working in localauthorities in urban development realms.The TDA has also contributed heavily to

Fig.11: Factory and Exhibition Hall of Oriental Weavers,

10th of Ramadan City, 1994

By Moemen Afify and Amro El Halfawy

Source: Courtesy of Moemen Afify

11)

Fig.10 The Supreme Court of Egypt, Cairo, 1999

By Ahmed Mit

Source: Medina Magazine, Issue no 2.

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urban development processes, especiallyin Sinai and the Red Sea region. It isinvolved in projects that range fromreviewing design concepts of touristfacilities and their match with buildingbylaws and environmental regulations todeveloping best practices manuals. In1996, TDA has started a process with theUS-A ID fo r t he p romo t i on o fenvironmentally sustainable tourism.

Currently, awareness seminars are heldand guidelines are published as part ofenvironmental policy and institutionalstrengthening projects. Part of the TDArole is to encourage investment inecofriendly tourist facilities and greenhotels.

Egyptian Architecture is Changing itsPublic FaceThe current privatization process and thefree economy era have resulted inintensive architectural and urban

development projects. This has led to aplurality of schools of thoughts, since therehas been a fertile soil and an operatingenvironment that allow for new attemptsat all levels from the construction ofindividual houses to large scalearchitectural developments.

A parallelism between these processesand different building types can beconceived. Several new private companiesand banks have been established andgovernment agencies started to updateand upgrade their facilities. As a result,the construction of office buildings cannow be seen in major central urban areas.With the establishment of privateuniversities and institutes, one can findconstructions of educational facilities hereand there around greater Cairo. Also,government universities are updating,upgrading, and expanding their facilities.Many school buildings are now built toaccommodate the rising demand onprivate education.

Fig.12: The Supreme Court of Egypt, Maadi, Cairo,1999By Ahmed MitoPhoto: Ashraf Salama

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Fig.13: Headquarters of Oriental Weavers, Heliopolis,

Cairo, 1994 By Farouk Al-Gohary


Fig 14,15: Apartment Buildings Built in the Nineties

in Different Parts of Cairo: Dokki, Mohandseen and

Mokattam By Ashraf Salah Abo Seif


Fig.16 Khan Al Azizia. A Commercial and Recreational

Center, Cairo/Alexandria Desert Road, 1999

An Example of Historic Eclecticism. By Ashraf Sabry


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14)

15a) 15b)

13b)

16)

All in all, there has been a surge in theconstruction of other building types suchas commercial buildings and shoppingcenters, factories, tourist facilities, andpublic buildings. Many of these occupiedhot spots in urban areas while otherscontribute to the development processesin sub urban areas and desertenvironments across the country.

Post Modernism in EgyptThe international post modernismmovement was a direct challenge to manyof the premises upon which modernarchitecture was based. It came to includeadvocacies and efforts ranging fromhistorical revival, historic eclecticism, andhistoricist attitudes to schizophrenic,illogical approaches of collage and elitismarchitecture. It acknowledged the role ofsymbolism in architecture. In short, it wasbased on some logical fundamentals andcritical visions, since it viewed thatmodernism was not able to satisfyemotional and cultural needs of peoplewhile at the same time expressingeconomic, scientific, and technologicalgivens of the time. Post modernistsacknowledge the taste codes of the publicas a source for their inclusion in theircompositions, in the belief that this willhelp their work communicate with the usersof architecture.In Egypt, postmodern movement is formedwithin the framework of the internationalpost modernism.

It does not offer a critical vision of previouslocal architectural thoughts (modernism).Simply, it is a transformation from followingthe international modernism to followingthe international post modernism. In thisrespect, it can be argued that Egyptianpost modernism expresses a continuationof the Westernization process. The majorweakness here is that it does not go farenough in its acknowledgment of theneeds and wishes of users. It does not

actually address the faults implicit inmodernist architectural practices, butrather, it tacitly accepts them.

Categor iz ing or c lass i fy ing thecontemporary architecture of Egypt isreally a difficult and daunting task. This isdue to three main reasons. The first is thedifficulty inherited in any classificationeffort, the second is the plurality ofarchitectural advocacies and trends, andthe third is the overlapping concernsbetween the trends. Since the public faceof postmodern Egyptian architecture iscompletely different from the product ofinternational post modernism, theclassification of Egyptian post modernismshould not necessarily follow theclassification of international postmodernism. However, there areoverlapping categories between the two. In sum, Egyptian post modernism of theNineties can be classified into two majortrends that illustrate the impact of historicand heritage architecture on the works ofEgyptian architects. Never the less, historicand heritage references differ across thewide range of trends.

The two major trends that expressEgyptian architecture of the Nineties areon one hand historicism mixed withhistorical revivalism, and on the otherhand, regionalized modernism ormodernized regionalism. It is worthy tomention that several other trends can beobserved but can not be categorized.However, for the purpose of classificationthese trends will be categorized underother influences.

Historicism and Historical RevivalismSeveral Egyptian architects envisaged theselection of many historic features. Thishas been materialized with a strongreference to the Egyptian history that hasa rich mix of many products of three mainEgyptian cultures, the Pharonic, the Coptic,and the Islamic. They believed that

Fig.17: The Nile Gallery, Opera Grounds, Cairo, 1997

An Example of Regionalized Modernism/Modernized

Regionalism By Abdel Halim Ibrahim


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17a)

17b)

17c)

simulating the history in contemporarybuildings would help establish a sense ofbelonging and a strong emotional tiebetween society and the built environment.In this respect, one can argue that alsoeclecticism, the license to select, borrow,and copy from the past was revived.Concomitantly, to copy from the pastbecame, unfortunately, logical lyacceptable.

There are many examples that representthe attitude and movement of currentEgyptian architects toward historicism inarchitecture. Some architects havedeveloped their projects based on thefeatures of Pharonic architecture whilemany of them placed emphasis on copyingfeatures of Islamic architecture. However,most of them have tried to adapt thosefeatures to the contemporary image ofbuildings.In the exhibition hall and factory of OrientalWeavers (Fig.11), Moemen Afify and AmroEl Halfawy attempted to borrow and adaptfeatures of Pharonic architecture. Thebuilding looks like a temple but withdifferent proportions. The Supreme Courtof Egypt is another example built in Maadi,Cairo (Fig.12). The building is designedin a monumental scale and style by theEgyptian young architect Ahmed Mito. Itincludes counseling halls, a multi purposehall for 450 people, offices, a library, amuseum, and a large atrium that rises upto 18 meters and covered by a dome.Originally, the project was an internationalcompetition in 1994 with about 48

participants. After much debate anddiscussions Ahmed Mito won thecompetition. However, he completelyredesigned the building and finalized it inits present status (Medina magazine,1998).

In the headquarters of Oriental Weavers(Fig.13), Farouk Al Gohary useshierarchical arches and designs thebuilding with an inner courtyard. Openingsare covered with stucco screens. It isbelieved that this has been to simulatethe past with a contemporary image. Also,apartment buildings (Fig.14-15) that havebeen built in the nineties deserve specialattention, where features of Islamicarchitecture are borrowed to localize thepublic face of architecture. An example ofthis trend can be found in the works ofAshraf Salah Abo Seif who avoids the useof any modern visual features and heavilyuses shallow arches and wooden pergolasand harmonizes the overall building shellin an attempt to simulate and adapt Islamicheritage.

Some other architects went to the extremeand allowed themselves to copy and pastefrom the past. In Khan Al Azizia project(Fig.16), the developer and the architectwanted to create, in the desert, an imagesimilar to that of old Cairo. The architectcopied some features of old Cairo suchas mashrabya and narrow openings. Anattempt was made to add and hybrid someother features. However, the overallappearance is not convincing, since the

Fig. 18: The Nile Gallery, Opera Grounds, Cairo, 1997

By Abdel Halim Ibrahim

Photo: Ahmed Abdel Wahab – Drawing: Alam Albenaa,

April, 1998

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building purpose does not match itsactivities and users.

Regionalized Modernism or ModernizedRegionalismDuring the current period of intensedevelopment in Egypt, no doubt there areconsiderable achievements. Good designsemerge here and there across the country.However, the overall design standard isdisappointing and the plurality ofarchitectural trends is confusing. Underthe strong global economic and culturalimpacts, Egypt has witnessed the erosionof regional/local identity and concomitantlyis experiencing the loss of visual anchorsto the soul of most cities. WereWesternization and Globalization thereasons?

Globalization generally refers to aneconomically driven process, whereby thepolitics, economic, and culture of onecountry penetrate other countries (Pennell,1997). It is seen as a force that can uniteeconomic forces while at the same time

causing social and cultural resistance tothese forces. It is believed that globalizationhas extremely influenced the nationaleconomy. However, its impact on localcultures can not be measured now, butcertainly, it will influence socio/culturalaspects on the long term. It should be ourconcern that cultural globalization iscoming, regional identities will be destroyedmore, and many outstanding sub culturalregions will be transformed into plainlooking environments.

A balanced architectural development isclearly on the rise, where globalizationand regionalization should be regardedas two sides of a coin and thus they areinseparable. Never the less, their weightsvary in different circumstances. In thisrespect, one can argue that some culturescan be absorbed to become ingredientsof new regional cultures. This points toregionalized modernism/modernizedregionalism.

When the formal vocabulary is closely

Fig.19: Serena Beach Resort, Quseir, Egypt, 1994

By Rami El Dahan and Soheir Farid

Photo: Ayman Taher

Fig. 20,21: Integrated care Society, Heliopolis, 1997

An Example of A basic Design Exercise

By Magd Masarra


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20)

21)

related with indigenous space conceptand space characteristics, one can findsupreme examples that give people anopportunity to reconstruct missing links intheir traditional culture and to enhancetheir learning process of it. However, thereis a danger in this trend, since it mayproduce a sort of style, which might easilybe transformed into a built environmentthat is superficially appealing to localpeople and to the tourism industry.The att i tude toward regionalizedmodernism can be found in the works ofAbdel Halim Ibrahim The Nile Gallery orQaet El Nil, designed by him includes artexhibition halls, art galleries, a book shop,a cinema, an art café, restaurants, seminarrooms and workshops. He attempted toincorporate the new modern function intoheritage values. His main concern was tolink the current art movement in Egyptwith the Arabic and Islamic culturalheritage. Instead of designing a universalspace, he designed several halls, each ofwhich has its own identity, character, andprivacy. Also, an attempt was made tocreate other links with the past. This was

either physically through designing a paththat penetrates the building and allowsvisitors of the Opera area to watch theexhibits freely and casually, or spirituallyand psychologically through the use ofcolor, texture, and distinctive intimatemasses. The mail hall is roofed andsupported by steel trusses that are coveredby a glass roof for natural lightingpurposes. The mix of the use of stones inthe façade and steel and glass insidecreates another link between local visualimages and global high tech. Anotherpositive aspect is the match between thebuilding and its surroundings, especiallythe hybrid architecture of the Opera House.In fact, the project is a deep and thoughtfulattempt toward the development ofcontemporary Egypt ian cu l tura lidentit.(Fig.17-18)

Another example is Serena Beach Resortin Quseir that has been designed by RamiEl Dahan and Soheir Farid. The projectincludes 180 hotel rooms clustered aroundinner yards and connected with a clearpath, the main building, cafeteria,

Fig. 22:Ministry of Finance and Tax Department, Nasr

City, 1996

An Example of A basic Design Exercis By Farouk Al

Gohary

Photo: Arab Contractors Photo Labs

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Fig.23: Confusing Plurality of Entrance Images of Tourist

Facilities, Hurghada, 1990s


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restaurants, a health club, a gym, and adiving center. They utilize sandstone forwalls extracted from the nearby mountains,and domes and vaults for roofs.The major positive aspect in the projectis that it became an exemplar of usinglocal materials, where other projects arenow utilizing same construction techniqueswithout addition or modification. Also, ithelped to create a character for a coastaldesert area. However, there is a conflictbetween three aspects in this project,building materials and traditionalconstruction techniques, the image andcharacter, and the new lifestyle.

Although the use of local materialscontributes to the creation of a local image,it does not help to create local lifestyle,where central air conditioning systemsare operated to reduce the temperaturein all buildings.In fact, it is disappointing to see the grillsof air exists and returns of an airconditioning system in a dome built withlocal materials. Thus, it can be arguedthat the project is superficially appealingto the local community, visitors from Egypt,and international visitors.(Fig.19)

Other InfluencesOther trends that can not be classified aregrouped under this category. There aremany examples that delineate eclecticism,but this time they, consciously or

unconsciously, employ copying fromWestern contemporary or classicalimages. Another trend is avoiding the useof any reference whether historic orcontemporary, local or western. This trendcan be named basic design exercises inbuilding facades. In this respect, one canargue that this attitude is based only onthe creative impulses and intrinsic feelingsof the architect without giving any attentionto the extrinsic influences exemplified byhistoric, cultural, and environmentalconcerns.The plurality of architectural trends hasreached its maximum in some parts ofEgypt, especially in coastal areas. Onecan find in Hurghada many confusingimages of tourist facilities in one street.Some of these images naively simulatedifferent Egyptian cultures, others simulateclassical architecture, while the restsimulate natural environments.(Fig.20-21-22-23)

Culture, Environment, and TheArchitecture of ResistanceOpposite to the Westernization of Egyptianarchitecture and the immersion of manyarchitects in developing a kind ofarchitecture that only satisfies marketdemands, few responsive attitudes haveemerged. Some architects havedeveloped sincere attempts towards thedevelopment of another kind ofarchitecture that corresponds to cultural

Fig. 24 (Top left and right) Construction Works of Hager El

Dabiah Village, Qena, Egypt, 1997 By Ahmed Abdou

Photos: Courtesy of Ossama Abdou

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24b)24a)

Figure (25) Hager El Dabiah Village,Qena,Egypt, 1997

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and environmental demands. Theseattempts should be regarded as positivereactions toward culture and environment.During the last few years severalarchitectural experiments have beenintroduced. These range from therestoration of historic buildings to adaptivereuse projects and from rural housingdevelopments to ecofriendly touristfacilities. However, the discussion here islimited to three aspects that are conceivedas different forms of resistant architecture.

Hager El Dabiah Village: A Socio-cultural ParadigmIn 1993, the Upper Egypt region wasinflicted with an avalanche of torrid floodsthat wiped out many villages and smallurban settlements. The governmentembarked upon a plan to resettle thevictims of these floods and rebuild anumber of dwellings equivalent to thosedamaged or wiped out especially in theregion between Assuit and Qena. TheEgyptian Red Crescent Association(ERCA) decided to participate in the initialresettling of flood victims. It supported theidea of providing an exemplar of resettlingefforts. A site in Qena has been selectedto establish a model rescue settlementconsisting of a prototype 124 unitsettlement.

Ahmmed Abdou, a professor ofarchitecture and a practicing architect hasbeen appointed by ERCA and the Ministryof Social Affairs to develop a designproposal and envision the appropriateconstruction methods. The proposal wasbased on an interactive design approachby having flood victims participate inplanning, design, and construction ofdwelling units. Thus, emphasis was placedon the reduction of construction costs,creating employment opportunities,providing villagers with educationalexperience in building construction, anddeveloping a sense of ownership.The project is built on a 16 acres area. It

includes 124 courtyard housing units,social building for group activities, marketplace (Souk), Mosque, and gatehouse.The construction of the project was basedon utilizing local materials in the buildingof all project components. Limestone isused for wall building, fired silt based, andcored bricks are used for roofing, domesand vaulting. Since the project representsa participatory approach in a contingentsituation that needed immediate action, itis worthy to note several positive aspectsthat this project has achieved:

Convincing local authorities of the highvalue of using appropriate buildingtechnology and local mater ia ls.

- Creating local employment opportunities,since local citizens have acquired newski l ls in bui ld ing through thei rcomprehensive and active participation inthe building process.

- Creating a sense of belonging byinvolving the villagers in all phases of theproject.

- Developing a very cost effective projectby utilizing local building materials thathave been retrieved from the neighboringsite (Fig.24).

Rehabilitation by People ParticipationSeveral small projects for restoration andrehabilitation of the 19th centuryarchitecture have been carried out duringthe last five years. As a result of extensiveinvestigation into Old Cairo, Salah Z. Said,a professor of architecture and a practicingarchitect has been doing comprehensiveworks for documenting late 19th centuryand early 20th century houses, togetherwith his students at Al Azhar University.The results of the documentation processculminated in identifying several housesthat need to be restored and rehabilitated.

It should be noted that restoration works

Fig.26 (Top): Beyt Sokkar, A late 19th CenturyHouse in Old Caio (before restoration)Photo: Courtesy of Salah Z. Said

Fig. 27 (Bottom): Beyt Sokkar, Restored bySalah Z. Said, 1998Photo: Courtesy of Salah Z. Said

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for non listed traditional houses is not anissue for either the authorities of antiquitiesor for Cairo governorate. Concomitantly,the argument behind protecting thesehouses is that they form the real urbanenvironment of Old Cairo. If neglectedand abandoned, they will be deterioratedand demolished and the current historicbuildings listed as monuments will haveno value since they will be isolated withouta connecting urban fabric.

Based on small funding from the AmericanResearch Center in Egypt (ARCE), fourhouses have been rehabilitated with theinvolvement of residents. Groupdiscussions with owners and users tookplace in order to identify their majorconcerns, then technical inspection hasbeen carried out. Negotiations were todefine the role residents could play. Theinvolvement of residents varied across therehabilitation process of the three houses.Some provided construction materials andinstallation equipment while othersparticipated as labor in the remodelingprocess. Within the restoration process,several elements have been replaced suchas staircases, bearing walls, and sanitarypipes and equipment. Balconies andwindows have been replaced or restoredas of original, and roofs have beeninsulated.

After the completion of this project,residents felt a sense of pride for theircontribution. Some of them have acquiredskills during the process. Now, it iscommon to see more architects involvingthemselves in proposals for severalprojects of similar nature. It is believedthat the movement towards conservationprojects will be one of the importantconcerns in the next few decades.

Adaptive Reuse and ArchitecturalRecyclingThe concept of adaptive reuse is totransform derelict, abandoned sites of

historical, cultural, and artistic value intoviable enterprises generating revenues,which can then be spent on operation andmaintenance. This process benefits thesurrounding community by providingemployment and attracting tourists tohistoric districts. Notwithstanding, thepreservation of the physical, aesthetic,and cultural integrity of historical sitesremains the objective of any such activities.

The validity of this concept is demonstratedby the fact that in many cases, historicalsites are rehabilitated only to fall intodisrepair soon after restoration has beencompleted, due to lack of maintenance.The concept has successfully been appliedin different parts of the world, and theMinistry of Culture has previously applieda similar if not identical approach in Egypt.

Adopting the adaptive re-use concept,Sheikh Tawfik house in Quseir wasrestored. The history of the house goesback to mid 18th century. The house islocated overlooking the Red Sea Cornishat Quseir. It has very distinguished hugemashrabia that covers about third of itsmain facade. For over 30 years it has beenabandoned. Its ground floor was usedfrom 1993 to 1995 as storage space fora local beverage company. RECQ, a newlyestablished NGO formed of intellectualsfrom Quseir and some interestedinternational members who visit the areaat least twice a year for their divingactivities, participated in improving thephysical condition of the building. Incollaboration with RECQ, Mohamed ElAttatr and Ashmed Rashed restored thehouse and developed a reuse proposal.

The house exemplifies one of thesuccessful efforts toward realizing theadaptive reuse concept. It has beentransformed into a hostel of six rooms,and lounges in the first and second floors,while the reception space, restaurant andkitchen occupy the ground floor. The hostelis in operation since August 1999. The

restoration project involved training andparticipatory program and creatingemployment opportunities for locals.Also, a number of other proposals are nowprepared for reusing several similar historicbuildings of the urban core of the city ofQuseir. An integrated approach foradopting the adaptive reuse concept isconcerned with both environmental andcultural concerns. It is usually believedthat an adaptive reuse strategy isemployed only for heritage buildings fortheir historic, cultural, or aesthetic values.However, such strategy should also beemployed for environmental reasons.According to Mackenzie (1991), The useof an existing building in place of theconstruction of a new building can lead toobvious environmental benefits. Energycan be saved, and existing materials usedrather than wasted.Now, recognition is growing of theenvironmental benefits of extending thelife of an existing building. An attempt thatexemplifies this approach is transformingan existing house of an agricultural workerin a rural area close to Cairo into an artisthouse. Atef Fahim, professor ofarchitecture and practicing architect, whobelieves that the role of the architect asmaster builder should be revitalized, hasconducted this project.In fact, the project adopts the ideas ofarchi tectura l susta inabi l i ty, andarchitectural recycling. Instead of thedemolition of the existing building, it hasbeen modified and remodeled. In addition,the architect took the responsibility ofeducating some members of theagricultural community, since during theconstruction process he had to build byhimself to provide demonstration andinstructions to the builders. The projectacts as an exemplar for remodeling, whereseveral houses in the community are nowconverted utilizing the same approach.

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nterviewing Name Egyptian Architectsby Architecture StudentsWithin the process of investigating thecurrent status of contemporary architectureof Egypt it is important to have some clueson how Egyptian architects are viewingthe future of the profession and how theyperceive their role and responsibilitytowards society. As part of ResearchMethods courses, interviews with nameEgyptian architects were conducted byAl-Azhar University students in 1997, andby Misr International University studentsin 1998. The total number of architectsinterviewed was 15. The objective was totrace and explore some specific issuesthat pertain to the problems andchallenges facing the profession. A contentanalysis procedure has been employed.Although the analysis reveals severalcrucial concerns regarding the architectsattitudes and the consistency of theirresponses to the questions raised, itreveals the following critical issues:They are frustrated regarding the contextwithin which architectural practices areperformed.

They feel that the profession could notrealize how to convince the society of thevalue of architects and their work.

Some of them see that the profession isthe weakest among other professions andthat the Egyptian society in generalundervalues architects.

They agree on the ineffectiveness ofprofessional organizations that havebecome only concerned with social andmedical services for architects andengineers.

They believe that the profession is movingtowards large scale projects that aredirected to the service of specific segmentsof society.

They believe that social issues are not ofconcern to many in the Egyptian

architectural community, and the conceptof the architect as someone who designsonly for affluent clients will continue. They agree that the major rea lying behindthe poor quality of the built environmentis that building laws and regulations haveconflict in themselves, and do not matchseveral requirements that pertain toplanning, density, socioeconomic aspects,climatic conditions, and aesthetic controls.

The preceding critical issues are far tooserious to be ignored or oversimplified.They imply the need for radical rethinkingof the structure of the profession. Thearchitectural section of the EgyptianSyndicate of Engineers should take theseissues seriously and search for ways inwhich the professional milieu can beameliorated.

ConclusionThe objective of this paper has been toexplore the current status of architectureand urbanism of Egypt. Emphasis isplaced on the trends of Nineties. Theeconomic context within which thedevelopment process takes place hasbeen analyzed and the professional andeducational milieus that enable thisprocess to occur have been elaboratedand interpreted.

The striking aspect of these contexts isthe impact of privatization on the operatingenvironment of the profession, education,and the overall built environment. Thisimpact is exemplified by two majortransformations. The first is the jump from9 undergraduate programs of architecturein 1980 to 25 programs at the end of theNineties. The second is the change inat t i tude f rom creat ing i l leg ib leenvironments in the Eighties to the searchfor a new identity, and the emergence ofsurface treatment architecture in theNineties. Within the professional milieufour generic features have been identified.These features confirm that the Nineties

should be regarded as a transitional periodthat embraces major shifts. These havebeen outlined as 1) the scope of practiceis expanding, 2) other professionals arecompeting with architects, 3) bilateral andmulti national projects are overrunning,and 4) government bodies andin ternat iona l o rgan iza t ions arecollaborating in the development process.

The paper has argued that the economiccontext, the professional and educationalmilieus, and the generic features of theNineties have been culminated to form anew public face for Egyptian architecture,where a wide range of innovative designsrepresenting disparate trends haveemerged.

An attempt was made to identify,categorize, and classify those trends intohistoricism and historical revivalism, andregionalized modernism or modernizedregionalism. Other trends have beenidentified and exemplified by eclecticismthat employs copying images fromEgyptian heritage, or classical architecture,or even from contemporary Westernimages. In addition to the impact ofprivatization and the free economy era,the existence of these trends delineatesthe strong influence of the continuedWesternizat ion process and theemergence of cultural globalization.However, the trend of regionalizedmodernism represents conscious attemptstoward the development of contemporaryEgyptian cultural identity. Another trendthat is based only on the creative impulsesof the architect has been recorded wheresome architects exercise their basic designskills on building facades. All in all, ManyEgyptian architects are immersingthemselves in exploring visual aspectswithout concern for the role of architecturein enhancing cultural behaviors andattitudes.

Opposite to the above confusing trends,the paper has identified a new type of

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architecture, the architecture of resistancethat serves other segments of society.Instead of responding only to the marketdemands and serving only affluent clients,the architecture of resistance placesemphasis on cultural and environmentaldemands, and attempts to serve the poor,the powerless, the middle class, and theunderrepresented. Three types have beencategorized into a socio/cultural paradigm,rehabilitation by people participation, andadaptive reuse and architectural recycling.They are regarded as different forms ofresistance.

In order to supplement the exploratoryprocess of contemporary architecture ofEgypt and to analytically describe thecomplete profile of Egyptian architectureof the Nineties, the paper has introducedresults and conclusions of two researchstudies. The first is an attempt to read andanticipate the future trends anddevelopment directions, while the secondis interviewing name Egyptian architectsby architecture students. The results ofinvestigating many aspects of architecturaladvertising reveal that the profession willcontinue to serve only affluent clients andthe plurality of confusing architecturaltrends will continue in search of an identity.The results corroborates that societyplaces low value on architects where therepresentation of architects did not exceed2.25% in 400 architectural ads, while theclients, owners, and contracting companiesare represented in 94% of the ads.

The second study revealed several crucialissues that pertain to the ineffectivenessof professional organizations, that socialissues are not of concern to manyarchitects, that the Egyptian societyundervalues architects, and that thebuilding laws and regulations have conflictin themselves. These issues should notbe oversimplified. A radical rethinking ofthe structure of the profession is urgentlyneeded.Concluding Remarks

The preceding results assert that thetransitional period will continue and willoccupy the following decade or even more.This necessitates an urgent shift in attitudefrom architectural criticism to postoccupancy evaluation. The tradition ofarchitectural criticism has contributed foryears to superficial reactions of highlysubjective judgments about the quality ofarchitecture. Concomitantly, it is believedthat architectural criticism has very littlevalue for professional architects since itfails to explain the reasons behind thosesubjective judgments. Reversibly, postoccupancy evaluation of built environmentsis intended to provide reliable and validinformation about the physical world. It isalso intended to provide information toimprove the quality of design decisionmaking and to predict the quality of futurebuilt environments. The results of postoccupancy evaluation studies are directedto those who design, manage, makedecisions about the built environment,while the results of architectural criticismare only directed to the academiccommunity.

Every single attempt and architecturalexperiment should be systematicallyevaluated by the community of scholars,academics, practitioners, and the users.The profession should be transformedfrom viewing architecture as an art basedprofession to society based profession oreven to science based profession. Thisshould take place in order not to repeatthe same mistakes over and over again,and before losing our credibility in the eyesof society.

References:

· Anoniades, A. (1993). Architecture andAllied Design. An Environmental DesignPerspective. Dubuque, IA: Kendall andHunt Publishing Co

· Hamdy, M. H. (1997). Readings in thePapers of Privatization from an UrbanPerspective. The Sixth InternationalConference of Inter-Build. Cairo.

· Lynch, K. (1960). Image of the City.Cambridge: MA: MIT Press.

· Mackenzie, D. (1991). Green Design:Design for the Environment. London, UK:Lawrence KingLtd.

· Mitchell, T. (1993). Redefining Designing:From Form to Experience. New York, NY:Van Nostrand Reinhold.

· Results of Interviewing Name EgyptianArchitects (1996 & 1997). Reports ofArchitecture Students at Al AzharUniversity and Misr International University,Cairo.

· Salama, A. M. (1995). New Trends inArchitectural Education: Designing theDesign Studio. Raleigh, NC: UnlimitedPotentials Publishing Co.

· Salama, A. M. (1999). Planning andArchitectural Pedagogy in a Time ofParadigm Change: A ResponsiveArgument for Future Professional Practice.The Second International Symposium onPlanning Education for the 21st Century.Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning,Cairo University, Cairo

· Sanoff, H. (1991). Visual ResearchMethods in Design. New York, NY: VanNostrand Reinhold.


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Contemporary Architecture in Egypt