This village that boasts of a population of seven thousand was redeveloped by hassan fathy. The conservation of new gourna village according to hassan fathys philosophy and ideas original layout has been constructed. The village of new gourna, which was partially built between 1945 and 1948, is possibly the most well known of all of fathy s projects because of the international popularity of his book, architecture for the poor, published nearly twenty years after the experience and concentrating primarily on the ultimately tragic history of this single village. Pdf hassan fathys design efforts for new gourna researchgate. Fathy was recognized with the aga khan chairmans award for architecture in 1980. 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. See more ideas about vernacular architecture, architect, architecture. A question they were always asking us when we were young, one that would start our imagination roaming and set us daydreaming.
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. After graduation in 1926 he was shocked by the very poor state of village people, but he did not feel at all that it was suitable either economically or aesthetically to improve it with european modern architecture using iron and concrete. Aug 06, 2012 in 1946 hassan fathy, egypts green architect, built a model village near luxor called new gourna out of mud. He was unique in believing that this language could exist alongside that of an aggressively modern one. In 1946 hassan fathy, egypts green architect, built a model village near luxor called new gourna out of mud. Two versions of new gourna and the dilemma of sustainability in new urban communities in egypt k. The conservation of new gourna village according to hassan. Fathys cultural ambivalence and educational formation contributed to. 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 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. 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. The components of the unesco whc initiative safeguarding project of hassan fathys new. May 21, 20 hassan fathy died in 1989 but left behind a legacy of 160 buildingprojects ranging from small projects to largescale communitiescomplete with mosques and schools. Hassan fathy s is a name that is instantly recognisable among arab architects and conjures up idyllic images of handsmoothed walls and domes covered in adobe, nestled in a verdant countryside. Jul 11, 2019 hassan fathy believed in the social responsibility of the architect and acted accordingly throughout his life. This was a planned village commissioned by the egyptian government in 1946 to house villagers. Using mud bricks, the native technique that fathy learned in nubia, and such traditional egyptian architectural designs as enclosed courtyards and vaulted roofing, fathy worked with the villagers. Nandy a, nandy uk 2016 hassan fathy s design efforts for new gourna. In this article originally published by the cairo observer as hassan fathy.
My research on hassan fathys new gourna project in egypt will try to set the appropriate. He designed and built superb villas of adobe and stone, but mainly hegrappled headon. He was far ahead of the thinking of the times and was widely known for his ideas. The ones marked may be different from the article in the profile. Architecture for the poor by hassan fathy, paperback. The goal was to use local materials and techniques to relocate old gourna, a. Architecture for the poor describes hassan fathy s plan for building the village of new gourna, near luxor, egypt, without the use of more. Hassan fathys new gourna model village lies shambles. An individual conservation initiative of one of the houses that hassan fathy. Architecture for the poor describes hassan fathys plan for building the village of new gourna, near luxor, egypt, without the use of more. Safeguarding project of hassan fathys new gourna village. Hassan fathy believed in the social responsibility of the architect and acted accordingly throughout his life.
Fathy designed what was to become his flawed masterpiece, the village of new gourna. Hassan fathys is a name that is instantly recognisable among arab architects and conjures up idyllic images of handsmoothed walls and domes covered in adobe, nestled in a verdant countryside. He was unique in believing that this language could exist alongside that of an aggressively. 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. This first dedicated and cohesive book on egyptian architect hassan fathy 190089 compiles an exhaustive amount of diverse material on the modernist architect known for his work developing traditional arab architecture alongside principles of modernism. Jun 27, 2018 many of the houses in new gourna lay empty for years, with inhabitants not keen on moving in. He is one of the few architects who gained his fame not through flashy and complicated structures but through simple, costeffective designs for the people.
Oct 09, 2018 this first dedicated and cohesive book on egyptian architect hassan fathy 190089 compiles an exhaustive amount of diverse material on the modernist architect known for his work developing traditional arab architecture alongside principles of modernism. Architecture for the rich, there is a critical relook and rework of the principles and philosophies of hassan fathys work in new gourna and his deliberates vis a vis personal ideologies. Nandy a, nandy uk 2016 hassan fathys design efforts for new gourna. Hassan fathy was born in alexandria, egypt in 1900. In response to concern over the conditon of the village, unesco sponsored a mission in may 2009, after which it was declared a heritage protectorate by egyptian prime ministry decree. The village was designed and built between 1946 and 1952 by the famous egyptian architect hassan fathy 19001989. Hassan fathy died in 1989 but left behind a legacy of 160 buildingprojects ranging from small projects to largescale communitiescomplete with mosques and schools. The substantial volume combines previously unpublished drawings, personal anecdotes, interviews and photography unfolding. Using mud bricks, the native technique that fathy learned in nubia, and such traditional egyptian architectural designs as enclosed courtyards and vaulted roofing, fathy worked with the villagers to. Hassan fathys great contribution to modern egyptian architecture is the rediscovery of traditional methods of clay construction. Hassan fathy biography childhood, life achievements. Hassan fathy 19001989 is arguably the most widely known and influential egyptian architect of the 20th century.
Pdf motivated by the declining condition of new gourna, the international association save the heritage of hassan fathy made an appeal. Motivated by the declining condition of new gourna, the international association save the heritage of hassan fathy made an appeal to several international conservation organizations to help with the conservation of the village. 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. He designed and built superb villas of adobe and stone, but mainly hegrappled headon with housing the poor. Hassan fathy is one of egypts most wellknown and revered architects. Ismail serageldin 8 hassan fathy served on the first steering committee of. Architecture for the rich, there is a critical relook and rework of the principles and philosophies of hassan fathy s work in new gourna and his deliberates vis a vis personal ideologies.
Hassan fathys design efforts for new gourna nandy a 1 and nandy uk2 1chief managing director of the iso approved firm b. A tale of two villages, ministry of culture of egypt, cairo, 1969. Many of the houses in new gourna lay empty for years, with inhabitants not keen on moving in. The first book on egyptian modernist hassan fathy wallpaper. Fathy utilized ancient design methods and materials. This cited by count includes citations to the following articles in scholar. Hassan fathy devoted himself to housing the poor in developing nations and deserves study by anyone involved in rural improvement. In his eagerness to protect the local dwellers from the influences from the modern world, hassan fathy selfhandedly curtailed their freedom of choice through solutions that lacked the intuitive power to be automatically embraced. 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. At present, many of the buildings designed by hassan fathy have been demolished and replaced by modern buildings.
The conservation of new gourna village according to hassan fathys philosophy and ideas the complete paper article pdf available january 2018 with 4,095 reads how we measure reads. Hassan fathy march 23, 1900 november 30, 1989, egyptian arabic. Architecture for the poor hasan f athy 1 prelude dream and reality paradise lost. Gourna is a village located on the site of the tomb of the nobles that forms a part of thebes ancient cementary which can now be found in luxor, egypt. This village that boasts of a population of seven thousand was redeveloped by hassan fathy through his housing project. New gourna village is located in luxor on the west bank of the nile river, within the world heritage property of ancient thebes in egypt. Before it was fashionable or even fathomable, he was championing earth architecture in the hopes of bringing decent housing to egypts. Introduction the master builder, hassan fathy 1900 1989 was one of the first architects to break with modern architecture and to found a new approach based on a conception of interpreting forms and masses from the past.
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