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    The Guru: Hassan Fathy's Late Career
    The Guru: Hassan Fathy's Late Career
    The Guru: Hassan Fathy's Late Career
    Ebook82 pages52 minutes

    The Guru: Hassan Fathy's Late Career

    By Abdel-moniem El-Shorbagy

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Hassan Fathy returned from Athens to live in Cairo in 1962. He was thoroughly depressed at the thought of having to live among the noisy, crowded streets of modern Cairo. However, he lived in a flat in the Aly Labib house, a Mamluk house built in the 18th century and was known as Beit Al-Fan (home of the art). Not surprisingly, Fathy’s belief in the value of tradition was still strong. His primary concern was to develop his mud-brick style and the self-help building approach, which he had been experimenting with since the mid-1940s. In the period between 1962 and 1967, Fathy experienced misfortune in realizing many projects. However, since 1967 until his death in 1989, Fathy’ traditional approach began to be appreciated and he was able to design and build many different residential projects as well as commercial ones. In the 1980, Fathy’s effort was acknowledged by many awards including, the United Nations Peace Medal, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and the first Gold Medal of the Union Internationale des Architects. In 1989, Fathy died in his 18th century Mamluk house, Cairo.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookRix
    Release dateFeb 23, 2019
    ISBN9783743897519
    The Guru: Hassan Fathy's Late Career

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      Book preview

      The Guru - Abdel-moniem El-Shorbagy

      .

      The Guru

      Hassan Fathy’s Late Career

      (1962 -1989)

      .

      Hassan Fathy (1900 - 1989)

      Dedication

      To my wife, five children and extended family

      Content

      Introduction

      Chapter 1 Misfortune Experiments

      Chapter 2 The Value of Tradition

      Chapter 3 Architecture for the Poor

      Chapter 4 Institute for Appropriate Technology

      Chapter 5 The Productive Period (1973-1980)

      Chapter 6 Dar Al-Islam Village New Mexico

      Chapter 7 The Last Chapter in Fathy’s Career

      Conclusion

      Appendix 1 Chronology of Fathy’s Life and Career

      Appendix 2 Awards, Affiliations, Conferences

      Appendix 3 Glossary

      List of Illustration

      Bibliography

      Introduction

      While still living in Athens and preparing for his return to Egypt in 1962, Hassan Fathy was becoming thoroughly depressed at the thought of having to live among the noisy, crowded streets of modern Cairo. However, when a friend rang him in Athens and told him that a flat in the Aly Labib house was going to be vacant, Fathy decided to take it at any price! The Ali Labib house was a Mamluk house built in the 18th century for Prince Mantily, and after the last descendant died, the house passed to Ali Labib, their waqil (bailiff) and was registered as a historical monument. Although Fathy admired the house, he explained that it no longer represented the classical 18th century Arab house. The northern and western sections of the house were destroyed and rebuilt in a pseudo-Italian Renaissance style.

       The three-floor Ali Labib house lies at 4 Darb El-Labbana Street in the old Qala’a (Citadel) district and was known as Beit Al-Fan (home of the art) (fig.1). The facade of the house included four old māshrābīyyāhs and a massive wooden doorway. This door ensured quietness in the interior of the house and shelter from the bright sun. The doorway leads into the forecourt, where several doors lead to various parts of the house including the inner courtyard. There are seven flats; three flats off the outer courtyard and four flats off the inner courtyard. From the inner courtyard, a stone staircase leads to the rooftop flat of Fathy. Just below him, the Aga Khan leased another flat. 

      Fig.1. Hassan Fathy House, 18th century Mamluk house, Cairo.

       Fathy’s flat consisted of two living rooms off the roof, but he added a bedroom and a bathroom. The living room was characterised by its low, wooden-beamed ceiling, small windows screened by māshrābīyyāhs, stone floor covered with colourful rugs and a Moorish-style fireplace built by Fathy. It was simply furnished with divans, two rounded tables, and old leather armchairs and very often, Fathy’s drawing table. From the roof top terrace, Fathy had the most wonderful view of the old city of Cairo with its Citadel, minarets, and domes. In describing his house and the advantage of the old suburb Fathy said, I am surrounded by five mosques and naturally, thanks be to God, they were not demolished like the rest. Here I am living in a skyscape, not a landscape (fig.2).

      Fig.2. Fathy on the roof top terrace of his 17th century Mamluk house.

      Because of the technique that’s been invested in them and the delicacy of their structures, the minarets around you make you think, and the air makes you feel, that technology has been subjected 100 percent to artistic expression. Every detail has a meaning. They are not made haphazardly or just by the whim of one individual artist or architect: this architecture is a communal art. So I think it is a great privilege to live here, in this environment, and I thank God that I could find this part of the world to build in.

      Chapter 1

      MISFORTUNE EXPERIMENTS

      Not surprisingly, Fathy’s belief in the value of tradition was still strong. His primary concern was to develop his mud-brick style and the self-help building approach, which he had been experimenting with since the mid-1940s. He was finally able to work with a consistent architectural language on large and small scales, in which delicate domes and vaults were employed as integral balanced forms. The first commission Fathy received after his return from Athens was the New Valley Training Centre in 1962. The Centre was part of the government’s development scheme for the Kharga Oasis, where Fathy was able to test his traditional approach.

      The project was built in conjunction

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