Modern Egyptian

The father of the modernist egyptian architecture is Hassan Fatty.This first dedicated and cohesive book on Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy (1900-89) compiles an rich amount of diverse material on the modernist architect known for his work developing traditional Arab architecture alongside principles of modernism. The substantial volume combines previously unpublished drawings, personal letters, interviews and photography unfolding the story of his philosophy and work.

The book celebrates a growing global interest in Fathy’s work at a time when the history of architecture is being rebalanced as colonialism begins to be reassessed through a more critical lens. Opening remarks place Fathy alongside a cohort of other modernist architects working within their national contexts who have recently been given the prominence they deserve including Jose Plecnik in Slovenia, Pikionis and Constantin Doxiadid in Greece – who Fathy worked with from 1957-1961 – and Luis Barragan in Mexico.

Fathy was in search of a modernism that would reflect the local context of Egypt, and throughout his career his aim was always to create an architecture that could be a model for the people who needed it the most.