We have pounded our chests at the audacity of masdar citys zero footprint claim, and we have decried the potential consequences of unsustainable approaches to. Hassan fathy is the middle easts father of sustainable. Designed by a pioneer of sustainable architecture, hassan fathy, the village of new gourna in luxor, or ancient thebes, was commissioned by the egyptian department of antiquities in 1945. Mar 28, 2016 hassan fathys new gourna short film by oliver wilkins with the exception of a mausoleum and few private homes, his ideas printed in his gourna, tale of two villages have failed to produce any practical solutions for egypts urban and housing problems. Egypts visionary architect 9 it is somewhat ironic that hassan fathy, whose name is so closely associated with architecture for the poor, built much for wealthy patrons. Hassan fathy 19001989 is arguably the most widely known and influential egyptian architect of the 20th century. His major contributions were to socalled vernacular architecture which, inspired by traditional nubian and islamic materials and styles, urged an approach to the built environment that was economically and ecologically sustainable and responded to contextual needs of the. Past, present and future, is available at the unesco physical. Fathys architecture is solar and communal, yet earthy and modest just like the traditional arab world that inspired him. Hassan fathy was born in alexandria, egypt in 1900. Architecture for the poor describes hassan fathy s plan for building the village of new gourna, near luxor, egypt, without the use of more modern and expensive materials such as steel and concrete.
Hassan fathy 19001989 was an egyptian architect and engineer who has been credited with bringing the vernacular architecture of egypt to a wider audience, and for putting neglected traditional building systems to work for the poor. His most major work was the building of the village of new gourna hassan fathy, born in 1900 in alexandria, egypt, was an egyptian architect, artist and poet who had a lifelong commitment to architecture in the muslim. He used his knowledge of mathematics and music investing them in simple domestic. An indispensable architect in the history of modern islamic architecture is the egyptian hassan fathy 1900 89. Pdf on jan 1, 2014, ismail serageldin and others published hassan fathy. Hassan fathy hassan fathy was responsible for 160 projects from houses and schools to largescale communities. Experimental and unorthodox as his ideas were, more than twothirds of his projects. Fathy worked to create an indigenous environment at a minimal cost, and in so doing to improve the economy and the standard of living in rural areas. Jul 16, 2019 hassan fathy believed in the social responsibility of the architect and acted accordingly throughout his life.
Hassan fathy was an egyptian architect, artist, and poet who had a tremendous impact on generations of architects and planners. Green prophet has railed against projects like in 1946 hassan fathy, egypts green architect, built a model village near luxor called new gourna out of mud. Past, present and future, constitute the final outcomes of the community assessment efforts. Hassan fathy believed in the social responsibility of the architect and acted accordingly throughout his life. Lifetime achievements of hassan fathy the first chairmans award was given in 1980 to hassan fathy, an egyptian architect, artist and poet in acknowledgement of his lifelong commitment to architecture in the muslim world. The complete works of hassan fathy james steele on. Close examination of the progression of the earliest documented projects of hassan fathy, completed between 1928 and 1940, shows a philosophy in a dramatic state of transition, with the evolution of his ideas during that brief, twelve year period constituting a compressed personal parallel to the general change in architectural thought. New gourna was a housing project masterminded by hassan fathy with the objective of rehousing the seven thousand people of gourna, a village built on the site of the tomb of the nobles, part of the ancient cemetery of thebes now luxor, egypt. The countryside if you were given a million pounds, what would you do with them. The complete works of hassan fathy earth architecture. His first project was the talkha primary school in.
The first book on egyptian modernist hassan fathy wallpaper. He established a private practice in cairo where he also worked as professor of fine arts and head of the architectural school, at the university of cairo. Hassan fathy is egypts most wellknown architect since the famous imhotep, the worlds earliest known designer. Educated in cairo by a british educational system he practiced mostly in egypt, although his work became more international by the end of his. An experiment in rural egypt phoenix books fathy, hassan on. A question they were always asking us when we were young, one that would start our imagination roaming and set us daydreaming. Hassan fathy march 23, 1900 november 30, 1989, egyptian arabic. Educated in cairo by a british educational system he practiced mostly in egypt, although. He designed and built superb villas of adobe and stone, but mainly hegrappled headon with housing the poor.
Green prophet has railed against projects like dubai burj tower. Pdf ma the architecture of hassan fathy ahmed ragab. It was at this time fathy was invited to join the project as architect and planner for. Egyptian architect hassan fathy 19001989 undertook two projects to design new settlementsnew gourna 19451949, to rehouse the inhabitants of. Hassan fathy 19001989, became one of the outstanding architects of his generation in africa, demonstrating that it is possible to build for the poor and teaching people to build for themselves. Doc hassan fathy and traditionalvernacular architecture. Hassan fathy, an egyptian architect saw the value of natural building long before it became a fad in the west. World monuments fund hopes that these communitybased and value. Oct 09, 2018 the book also publishes an interview with master builder ala.
Hassan fathy, born in 1900 in alexandria, egypt, was an egyptian architect, artist and poet who had a lifelong commitment to architecture in the muslim world. This report and an ancillary film, hassan fathys new gourna village. If you were given a million pounds, what would you do with them. Focusing on fathys proposals for mass housing in iraq and pakistan, the article examines how the egyptian architect recast his famous 1945 project of new. Furthermore, with the exception of gourna, his most well known and widely respected work, few of hassan fathys buildings were. This thesis examines the career of the architect hassan fathy as a case study. Dec 01, 20 hassan fathy was born in alexandria, egypt in 1900. This village that boasts of a population of seven thousand was redeveloped by hassan fathy through his housing project. The use of earth in the architecture of hassan fathy and fabrizio. To know more about his childhood, career, profile and timeline read the following biography. Collections architects archives hassan fathy archnet. Pdf hassan fathy revisited panayiota pyla academia. Jun 27, 2018 egyptian architect hassan fathys use of traditional techniques and local materials is still studied across the world by a plethora of young designers yearning for a new architectural language.
Hassan fathy devoted himself to housing the poor in developing nations and deserves study by anyone involved in rural improvement. Architecture for the poor describes hassan fathys plan for building the village of new gourna, near luxor, egypt, without the use of more modern and. Architects archives hassan fathy share hassan fathy was an egyptian architect, artist, and poet who had a tremendous impact on generations of architects and planners. Fathy and the founders of the modern movement, were not acknowledged because they had worked in different contexts. Nandy a, nandy uk2016 hassan fathys design efforts for new. He designed houses to meet the needs of the families living in them. In his lifetime he designed more than thirty projects including several villages for the poor. He was a cosmopolitan intellectual, with knowledge of western and eastern literature and philosophy, absorbing the influences of very different traditions. Architecture for the poor describes hassan fathys plan for building the village of new gourna, near luxor, egypt, without the use of more modern and expensive materials such as steel and concrete. The architecture in the socalled third world countries, during the modern age, has been characterized by many as being culturally alienated and westernized. The main reason for this characterization, which is ironically publicly known as progress. Architecture for the poor hasan f athy 1 prelude dream and reality paradise lost. Just like the great master of western architecture, frank lloyd wright, hassan fathys genius was initially appreciated mostly by an intellectual.
1414 551 34 900 1499 922 141 1347 1142 315 477 1300 726 1206 670 973 1026 1071 1048 268 1149 1437 88 1375 56 553 1430 705 58 1257 910 1384 855 159 662 502 790 437 256