Gasser Gamil Abdel-Azim

TOWARDS CONTEMPORARINESS OF LOCAL ARCHI-

TECTURE: LESSONS LEARNED FROM PREvIOUS
ExPERIENCE.

Gasser Gamil Abdel-Azim

Abstract
The ideology of “Local Architecture” was about the religious experience, social and cultural interpretations non-aware-
open house international vol.42 No.1, March 2017. Towards Contemporariness of Local Architecture: Lessons learned from Previous Experience.

ness, and solutions for environmental and social problems. This case aims at producing a compatible architecture for
this society. The problem of the paper deals with the absence of the local heritage in contemporary architecture. Most
of our buildings reflect western ideologies, and use the local vocabulary, as has happened in most of the Arab archi-
tecture, that deals directly with a language of shapes to create compatibility with the public. Hence, the aim of the paper
is to link the variables that the contemporary architecture formulated with concepts of local architecture. To meet such
aims, the research is pivot around two themes: Firstly, tackling how to extract the forces that lead to the contemporari-
ness of local heritage and formalize the DNA of any local community (Culture, Community Aspiration, Climate, and
Technology), as well as discussing some experience that dealt with local architecture. Secondly, discussing some recent
trials that learned from the previous attempts through history. The attempts strongly re-activate the local architecture in
the contemporary challenges, namely, the use of heritage forms as is to conform to environmental determinants, devel-
opment of these forms using contemporary materials through the visions of local architecture, and employing high-tech
solutions to achieve contemporary appropriateness within traditional ideologies. In the end, the paper presents new
ideas of the local architecture that learned from the previous experiences in our Arab societies to meet the needs of
today’s Arab societies.

Keywords: Traditional heritage, Contemporariness, the DNA of Local Architecture.

1 INTRODUCTION promote superficially to the respect of culture, ideolo-

The modernity does not necessarily reject the heritage.
It is not a denial of the past but a way to bring the her-
itage up to the contemporary level, and making the
best use of the recent scientific and technological
developments. The effective contemporariness helps
to reach a right vision towards the issues that face the
Arab architects. This modernization cannot be
achieved away from the culture this thought belongs
to. However, unfortunately, most architects associate
the term “local architecture” with vocabulary only,
while actually it is a combination of experience, reli-
gious and social reflections, solutions to environmen-
tal and social problems, and response to the ages’
needs (Mohammed, 2003). The factors of the local
ideologies are classified into three categories:
Religious beliefs, Intangible factors, and Tangible fac-
tors. In our societies, the built environment slowly dete-
riorated and got separated from existing reality, for
many reasons, such as: absence of the cultural, social,
faith, emotional dimensions, demographic changes,
misuse of foreign expertise, technology control, drift-
ing most of Arab architect to the modernity, and the
architectural education (Esawy, 2010) . The contem-
porary interpretation of local architecture's crisis could
be attributed to two main facts: first, dealing with the
heritage from the consumer perspective in order to
102
gy, and the society. Second, is looking at the tradition-
al architecture of the Local societies as prototypes that
should be duplicated as is regardless of today’s needs
(Abdel- Raouf, 2014). The current fabric in the Arab
world is a multiple of unorganized forms and does not
follow any concepts. Most of those forms are just dis-
torted copies of the western trends. The question here:
can we reach a compromise between the local her-
itage and the modern ideology while preserving the
identity, culture, customs and traditions of the Arab
societies? One of the solutions proposed by Charles
Correa and Christopher Alexander is the Regional
Architecture, which connects the local and global
architecture (Abdel-Ghaffar, 2000).
2 CONTEMPORARINESS OF THE LOCAL HERITAGE
The local architecture that is compatible with the con-
temporary variables does not necessarily use the same
traditional vocabulary, but the way of thinking in solv-
ing eco -friendly problems. This opens new visions
towards innovation that goes beyond learning from
what is already existing now. Consequently, the paper
sheds the light on some serious attempts to face the
absence of the legacy of local architecture in modern
life. Generally, this approach is more aligned with the
intellectual, cultural, social, and spatial contemporary
life variables in the Arab societies (Zidan, 2007). It

Figure 1. Concept of the local architecture as a link between
the forces of the recruiting process of architecture (Source:
Author, 2015).
could be said that local architecture is the connecting
link among different forces in the process of forming
the architecture, these forces are: Firstly, the cultural
heritage (H) of a huge reservoir continuously renewed
through different ears. Secondly, community aspiration
(C), which is a variable and volatile dynamic force.
These two forces usually interact and are considered
the core of the actions that are intangible and non-
measurable. Thirdly, the climate/ environmental
atmosphere (E), which is a source of imagination and
inspiration for any society, and it is involved in creat-
ing the cultural inventory of any nation. Fourthly, tech-
nology (T), which is rapidly changing in architecture. It
intervenes in all construction details and affects the
architecture forms all over the world. These two forces
are considered the secondary connection that is spe-
cific, measurable and determined. Thus, the main
goal is to combine those four forces in the contempo-
rary local architecture (Sutton, 2007). We can say that
the four basic forces that formulate the DNA of any
local community are the Cultural Heritage (H),
Aspirations of the Community (C), Climate/
Environmental Atmosphere (E), and Technology (T).
When these forces (HCET) interact, and became
merged with the concepts and visions of contemporary
life variables, we can reach the so-called:
Figure 3. The Four Madrasahs, Complex of Sultan Hasan, Cairo Source: H. Al-Harithy. The Complex of
Sultan Hasan, 1996, P. 53-72)
Gasser Gamil Abdel-Azim
Figure 2. Complex of Sultan Hasan, Ground floor& the
main courtyard, Cairo. (Source: right, H. Al-Harithy, the
Complex of Sultan Hasan, 1996, P. 56-63 &left, Author,
2012)
open house international vol.42 No.1, March 2017. Towards Contemporariness of Local Architecture: Lessons learned from Previous Experience.
Contemporariness of the Local Architecture (CLA), or
the Contemporary Local Architecture (Figure1).
2/1 THE ORIGINAL MODEL: THE COMPLEX OF SUL-
TAN HASAN
In praise of the complex, al- Maqrizi writes; “There is
no sanctuary of the Muslims, known in the lands of
Islam that equals this jāmic and its dome, the likes of
which has not been built-in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, North
Africa, or Yemen.” Both Ibn Taghri Birdi and Ibn
Shahin describe it as an edifice with no equal and one
of the wonders of the world. In an elaborate
metaphor, Ibn Habib considers it superior to the pyra-
mids of Giza and the Iwan of Kisra (H). The monu-
mental porch stands four stories tall and is considered
the largest portal in Cairo (T) (Al- Harithy, 1996). The
plan of the Sultan Hasan complex distinguishes the
public zone (the jāmic, the major teaching āwāns,
and the mausoleum) from the private of each of the
madrasah units and adjusts scale and accessibility (Al-
Harithy, 1996) (Figure 2).
It is clear that the design seems to have
accommodated the site conditions and the sizes of the
madrasahs in a more of a hierarchical fashion that
responded more to the actual following of the four
madrasahs in Egypt (C). The educational, social, and
religious institutions that constituted the main block of
the building represented the people. Each institution
fulfilled a community need and referred to a different
social group (C).
Placing the mau-
soleum between
the complex and
the Citadel repre-
sents the Sultan as
standing between
the people and the
Mamluks, (Kahil,
2008) (Figure 3).
103
Gasser Gamil Abdel-Azim
open house international vol.42 No.1, March 2017. Towards Contemporariness of Local Architecture: Lessons learned from Previous Experience.
Figure 4. Ramses Wissa Wassef Arts Centre, Giza, Egypt, 1974 (Source: The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, 0291.EGY)
3 LESSONS USING TRADITIONAL FORMS FOR
ENvIRONMENTAL APPROPRIATENESS
These lessons have represented the designs that con-
form to the social, economic, and political environ-
ment. They referred to the traditional, popular forms
and the available natural materials, which have
proved to be environmentally and economically
appropriate.
3/1 Ramses Wissa Wassef
Said; "Where I had been struck by the beauty of the
Nubian houses in the villages of the area, I learned
that it was still possible to find bricklayers who could
make vaulted roofs for houses”. He resolved to keep
up their presence in his own architectural work for rea-
sons of aesthetics, climate, and economics. He made
use of the traditional artisans such as stonecutter, tra-
ditional carpenters, glass blowers and potters who had
inherited the techniques and traditions of the Egyptian
vernacular heritage (H). The choice of this traditional
technology also reflected his wish to transfer the val-
ues of handicraft to succeeding generations in a
rapidly industrializing country. It reflects Wissa Wassef's
Figure 5. Alpha Bianca Palace for Yannick Fu, Ben Jacooper Artists, Majorca, Spanish east coast, Spain, 1979 (Source:
Images from the internet).
104
rejection of conventional modern Egyptian architec-
ture, and his studies for ways of developing the tradi-
tional mud-brick architecture to serve a wider range of
needs. Wassef was firmly resolved never to sacrifice his
artistic vision for current trends of construction. He
said, "One cannot separate beauty from utility, the
form from the material, the work from its job, the man
from his creative art". The structural systems, materials,
and techniques used are similar throughout, although
they too evolved in response to experience and differ-
ing users' requirements (The Aga Khan Award, 1983)
(Figure 4).
3/2 Hassan Fathy
He has made many local and popular restorations,
but his works were not without renovation. He added
the old experience and represented newly developed
solutions for refined climatic and environmental prob-
lems (E). Therefore, he re-discovered this method to
deal with the architecture not only on the level of the
building detail, or on the climate change, but com-
patible with the social environment, on the urban
level. His keenness and study of social aspects for any
community are one of the most important influences

Figure 6. Al-Azhar Park Restaurant, Cairo, 2004, Kafr El-Gouna Resort, Hurghada- Red sea, 1993-2000 (Source:Asfour,
2010, p.80-83)
before the design (C). Moreover, he takes into account
the economic level using available materials; it is a
case of integration and compatibility with nature
(Serageldin, 2009). The Alpha Bianca palace is one of
the unique prototypes. It features on the other work of
Hassan Fathy, by using the Andalusian style (H). We
found that he has distinguished stems from respect for
the local culture, trying to find the roots of the original
architecture while keeping up with the time, and serve
in line with human environment, with the use of avail-
able local material (E). It also adopted thought of the
cooperative construction, and not as some believe
that, his distinguished creativity and skills are only lim-
ited to the use of mud, domes, and vaults (C) (Fathy,
1992) (Figure 5).
3/3 Rami El Dahan and Soheir Farid
Most of their works are for touristic services. This is
because the success of these forms is to express the
local heritage (H). Therefore, they used new vocabu-
lary terms with the aim of giving the last versions of the
composition by understanding the origin of these func-
tions to use arcades, wooden works, walls, ceil-
ings…etc. They also introduced a case of incorpora-
tion with the surrounding environment additionally
provided through the re-use of local forms that have
proven throughout history, most compatible environ-
mental and climatic conditions (E). The idea of their
works is to live with it, to live in it, and to enrich spiri-
tually by it. This is not a new idea, it is a tradition that
comes from a time when men’s lives were tied to the
land and nurtured by it. Most of his projects were con-
sidered an environmentally sound architecture that
belong to the land upon which it has been built. They
adopted the vocabulary of vaults and domes to meet
the function of the buildings. They built their projects
to show different experience and expressions in a
community that are all in harmony together (C). Within
the same vocabulary and style, they present a variety
of designs and different scenarios. Although the use of
local materials contributes to create a local image, it
does not help to create a local lifestyle, (Asfour, 2010)
(Figure 6).
4 LESSONS DEvELOPING TRADITIONAL FORMS
USING CONTEMPORARY MATERIALS
Gasser Gamil Abdel-Azim
open house international vol.42 No.1, March 2017. Towards Contemporariness of Local Architecture: Lessons learned from Previous Experience.
Another type of lessons tends to understand, re- con-
sider and develop the function of these basic, tradi-
tional forms. Here, the modern materials are used with
the traditional ones. This combination does not
breach the environmental compatibility, but it creates
a completely new formation that has the spirit of the
contemporary and the essence of the local architec-
ture.
4/1 Abdel-Halim Ibrahim
Said; “It's a community Architecture and not a memo-
rial one; it is based on the society thought where each
building is an experience that includes continuing edu-
cation process”. He came up with the form of lan-
guage that stems from the heart of a local architectur-
al thought based on a set of design principles that
explore his vision. These principles include; First,
urban condensation to fit the environmental and
social conditions of any society benefiting from the
local architecture. It is a recognition that the real value
of this creative legacy is a solution to the problems
facing the society today and tomorrow. Second, the
interaction between the user and built environment
within its orientation, elevations forms, and the avail-
able materials used to predict of the awareness. He
considers the principle of the interaction as the most
important aspect of the local architecture (Ismail,
2003). It should be conserved using his full con-
sciousness about the shift in the circumstances, tradi-
tions, and habits that have taken place on our local
societies. This shift dispossesses our communities from
any means of a mechanism to control the building
process of their homes. However, he believes in recon-
sidering and strengthening the concept of the produc-
tive community, (Ali, 2011) (Figure7).
Third: the real response of the local environment,
according to Ibrahim, “the obligation of maturing the
different spatial spaces and their relations to the envi-
ronmental factors. The local materials will meet for
traditional architecture that is naturally in a well cli-
mate treatment. Those spaces have an impact which
affects the user and influenced it, thereby creating a
highly valuable architecture” (Ismail, 2003). The Nile
Gallery, designed by him attempted to join the new
105
Gasser Gamil Abdel-Azim
open house international vol.42 No.1, March 2017. Towards Contemporariness of Local Architecture: Lessons learned from Previous Experience.
Figure 7. Ministry of Housing competition for designing: One million dwelling units, third prize (Source: Ali, 2011, p.50-53)
modern function into heritage values. His main con-
cern was to link the current art movement in Egypt with
our cultural heritage. This was psychologically using
color, texture, and distinctive intimate masses. The roof
of the main hall was supported by steel trusses that
covered by a glass roof for natural lighting purposes.
The mix of the use of stones, steel and glass in the
façade creates another link between local visual
images and global high-tech (Salama, 1999)
(Figure8).
4/2 Rasem Badran
His work involves the full spectrum of the built envi-
ronment, from urban planning to each residence. He
concentrates on making architecture that meets the
social and cultural requirements of the people who
use it (C), as well as being place- specific in response
to environmental conditions. He inspires the ideas of
his buildings from the architectural heritage of the city
context, where the buildings are blending tradition
with the use of modern technology in construction,
and where the social and religious dimensions linked
Figure 8. The Nile Gallery, Opera Grounds, Cairo, 1997. An Example of Nationalized Modernism/ Modernized
Regionalism by Abdel Halim Ibrahim (Source: Author, 2015)
106
to the everyday activities. Moreover, he offers new
insights and distinctiveness to such governmental
buildings while maintaining authenticity and prestige.
Rasem Badran also entered the environmental studies
as one of the important factors influencing the build-
ings forms (E). We see his works as an extension of the
legacy of the historic area. Rather, by the spirit of cre-
ativity and innovation of the forms were not forged by
to accommodate the building's needs, whether in the
traditional forms, external walls, openings, air move-
ment and the ability to adapt the local material for
modern forms (T) (Abdel-Gawad, 2013) (Figure9).
4/3 Tamer El-Gabaly
He tries to revive the vocabulary of local architecture
derived from the cultural heritage and geographical
climate outstanding prevailing. This imposition of
solutions in architecture to reshape the cognitive impli-
cations of the character embodiment in the physical
spatial framework. In addition to, the respects of the
religious, psychological, ideological and veneration
for Mashrabiya in Arabic architecture and its implica-
 Gasser Gamil Abdel-Azim
Figure 9. Rasem Badran’s works is representing the com-
patibility between the heritage and contemporary (Source:
http://www.daralomran@daralomran.com, accessed June

open house international vol.42 No.1, March 2017. Towards Contemporariness of Local Architecture: Lessons learned from Previous Experience.
2015) Figure 10. Headquarters of the New Urban Communities
tions (H). It does not only emphasis on the concept of Authority, El- Sheikh Zayed, Egypt, 2010 (Source: Khaled,
Mashrabiya and its characteristics from an environ- et.al., 2011, p.34-37)
mental perspective without blend elements of shading
such as tents and wooden pergolas (E). Moreover, the
architect’s dependence on natural materials that are
locally available such as stone and wood is environ-
ment- friendly. He also mixes between the Arab fea-
tures of the building architecture and the natural envi-
ronment of local vocabulary with its various elements
of palms, plants, fountains and the floor patterns
whether it's the main plaza of the project or the gar-
dens surrounding the building (E) . An integrated Arab
environment in the contemporary image reflects on
the glass of the middle building. He uses sun breakers
and elements of the shading from Mashrabiya manu-
facturer of G.R.C, and all this in the framework of an
integrated perspective to emphasize the design con-
cept of the project (T), (Khaled, et al., 2011)
(Figure10).

5 NEW LESSONS LEARNED PREvIOUS ExPERIENCES

These attempts see the technology as potentialities to
create solutions to satisfy the needs of the communi- Figure 11. Economic Environmental Housing, KSA, 2010
ties, without referring to the traditional designs (T). This (Source: Asfour, 2010, P.80-83)
led to the emergence of innovative forms to create a
balance between modernity and environmental two contradictory patterns. The first was organic, infor-
requirements (E). mal, which the fabric of residential communities
around confirmed. The second was the grid, formal
5/1 Mohamed M. Abdullah and Yousri H. Khalil that represented by the public and residential build-
They introduced the second skin in an innovative way ings designed by State institutions (H). From here, this
as a series of panels open horizontally or vertically
depending on sun movement around the building. It is
important to say that the architects showed a new way
to use shutters. The condensed arrangement suggests
that it is not possible to produce the same traditional
shutters that are one century old. Moving along this
line of thinking, shutters design may come in different
geometrical shapes producing pleasing skin patterns
on the facades with a variety of subdued light inside
(T) (Asfour, 2013) (Figure11).

5/2 Gasser Gamil Abdel-Azim

He has attempted in his work to respect the constraints
of the site. One of these determinates was the site,
which has several various urban patterns. The project
came as a point corresponding to the place between
Figure 12. The site enclosed between two contradictory
patterns (organic vs grid) (Source: Author, 2013)
107
Gasser Gamil Abdel-Azim
Figure 13. The architect inspired by Hassan Fathy ideas, in
El-Mashrabia Touristic Center, 1976, Giza, Egypt (Source:
Serageldin, 2009, P. 207& Author, 2013)
open house international vol.42 No.1, March 2017. Towards Contemporariness of Local Architecture: Lessons learned from Previous Experience.
strong constraint inspires the architect in his concept of
design and represents it in the form of the project as
one mass divided into two parts. One of them is the
grid and formal through the cultural part. The other
part of the project is organic and informal, (Figure12).
The irregularity of the land shape was anoth-
er constraint that was stressing on the architect for a
challenging a design idea and reforming the project.
He tried to respect the landform, and good exploita-
tion of its corners, despite some irregular ones, which
added another difficulty, (inspired by Hassan Fathi
works). Thus, he put the open theater in the acute cor-
ner of the site as a breathing hub that includes all pat-
terns of events done from the public (C). The orienta-
tion to the north is another constraint, added to the
high temperature and the longest radiated periods of
the sun, which classify the urban Egyptian societies.
Therefore, the architect used circular shape and
sloped roofs (E), which makes it a focal point that
wraps around all other elements of the project. Some
of Hassan Fathy works inspired and influenced the
architect, through using such different forms with mul-
tiple grids and some environmental treatments, but in
a modern way, (Figure 13).
The architect considered the environmental
and climatic constraint in his design decisions by frag-
menting the project into two parts through putting a
celestial courtyard provided with greenery to enter the
natural lighting and ventilation to all spaces of the
project (E). In addition, the architect tried to find a sep-
arator space between the two different grids, which is
inspired from the local architecture (H). In addition to,
shading the entrances and outdoor spaces of the pro-
ject with a set of thick concrete beams. Therefore, the
architect took into account the harsh climatic condi-
tions on the site (E), (Figure14).
The architect tried to use the local materials
that were available in the site such as stone, marble,
and wood (such as the base of the building, which
inspired from the previous lessons of Abd El-Halim
works). This base isolates the building from the weath-
er, isolation and strong connection with the land (E).
The architect uses the wooden ornaments, which
inspired from the informal residential wooden types
surrounding the site, but in a way of innovation and
contemporary. Moreover, the architect tried to convert
the sharp corner of the site from a point of weakness
108
Figure 14. The courtyard used as a Separator between the
two contradictory grids for Environmental factors and forced
to shaded most of the outdoor spaces (Source: Author,
2013)
Figure 15. The architect uses the stone& marble base all
around the building for durability and beauty issues, and
tries to innovate the shapes of wooden types. (Source:
Author, 2013)
Figure 16. Mubarak’s library represents the cognitive link
between the two parts for homogeneousness and compati-
bility (Source: Author, 2008).
to strength. He exploited the services of the open the-
ater as a landmark for the plaza. Besides, he made it
more like the minaret, (because of the religious beliefs
that spread in these societies), (Figure15).
5/3 Tarek Abd El-Raouf and Gasser Gamil
In their project, the site looked as a one coherent
architectural mass divided into two uneven parts, con-
nected with an internal pathway that represents the
main movement of the physical axis. Moreover, it rep-
resents the cognitive link between the service parts that
creates, with its organized formation, a balance
between the psychological atmosphere of the project
and its educational and cultural purpose. Thus, the
design responds to the site needs and uses the cultur-
al heritage stored in our minds. The result fosters the
community sense of belonging to this heritage, not
only in terms of its vocabulary but also in terms of its
internal and external configuration, without disregard-
ing the modern global trends. This helps to reach a
compromise between the traditional framework and
the current environmental, social and cultural context.
The cultural part was oriented to the north through a
courtyard consider the environmental conditions,
While, the service part respects the boundaries of the
site (E), (Figure16).

Figure 17. A bold attempt of G. Gamil, T. Abd El -Raouf to
make a docking between local heritage and contemporary
in harmony in the Library design (Source: Author, 2008)
Figure 18. The architects try to compromise between local
and modernity (Source: Author, 2008).
The character of the project is an expression and an
understanding of what is behind these traditional for-
mations. It is not a case of calling such forms, and not
quoting from Western buildings. Thus, the designers
want to produce an architecture that is compatible
with the local environment, and intellectually contem-
porary for the user culture. The study of the character
simply clarifies the reforming and access to all the
principles and the ideologies of heritage, through an
architectural vocabulary that does not affect the pro-
ject economics. Several factors identified (derived
from the basis of the local architecture), to create a
visual consecutive project to confirm a mental image
of the public, and respect their culture, (Figure17).
We see that the service part shows ally her-
itage vocabulary to represent intimacy to the local
community. Traditional materials such as light and
dark strips of stone (Ablque) finished that cluster (H).
This part of the building makes a clear contrast with
the cultural mass, which represents the modernity (that
inspired from Abdel- Halim Ibrahim works), that mass
was finished by contemporary materials such as glass,
stainless steel, and metal sheets. In addition, the dou-
ble skin is designed to control the lighting (T), and to
show the heritage of traditional and popular symbols
characterized and known for its culture of community
and place, (Figure18).
The most important considerations of local
architecture were taken into account:
Creating internal planted courtyards to fill in some
spaces in the northern side, without overlooking the
amount of the natural light allowed. Increasing the
greeneries in front of the noisy sides, and deliberately
using narrow openings as much as possible in the
sides exposed to the southern and western. The
thought of the functional and philosophical project
stands in contrast with the idea of a strong challenge
to the future extension of the project. Therefore, the
architects adopted horizontal extension thought the
vertical direction than in the horizontal direction.
6 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Gasser Gamil Abdel-Azim
The paper has discussed the concept of re-connecting
with local architecture from the appropriateness of the
place point of view, the nature of life, and compatibil-
ity with the culture of Arab societies. Accordingly, it
began with the debate on the principles that estab-
lished this architectural thought. Therefore, the paper
has shed the light on the factors that influenced the
formation principles of local architectural ideology.
The connection with the local ideology can happen
only through re-activating some factors, namely, reli-
gious beliefs, non-physical (intangible), and physical
(tangible) factors. However, it focuses only on the tan-
gible factors as they can be scientifically measured,
open house international vol.42 No.1, March 2017. Towards Contemporariness of Local Architecture: Lessons learned from Previous Experience.
and they make the best use of the technological
advancement.
The paper has shed light on some of the
attempts that take into consideration the four basic
forces (HCET) that form the architecture DNA of any
local community: inheritance Cultural Heritage (H),
aspirations of the Community (C), Climate/
Environmental atmosphere (E), and Technology (T).
These attempts try to deal with the traditional forms
that characterize their societies in the contemporary
reality while producing local tint architecture to fit the
place, time and comply with the conditions and vari-
ables. These lessons have been divided according to
their achievements of the forces related to the local
architecture as follow:
Some attempts concentrated on the forces of Cultural
Heritage (H), and aspirations of the Community (C)
through re-using the traditional forms that provided
good solutions to environmental problems to find this
connection with local architecture, and ignore the use
of Technology (T). Other architects confirmed that the
contemporary technological and scientific variables
should have an impact and changes in the vocabulary
of architectural form in local architecture. Therefore,
they decided to develop this vocabulary through using
new materials besides the traditional ones that con-
serve the environmental compatibility (the Technology
(T) starts to represent here). Other attempts used mod-
ern technology (T), in response to the climate restric-
tions, and as an approach to combine contemporary
variables with the local architecture. They believe that
technology cannot be ignored. They see the modern
trends as potentialities that can be used nowadays to
produce buildings appropriate to the environment,
regardless of the architectural structure. Here, they
ignore the factors of Cultural Heritage (H), aspirations
of the Community (C).
The biggest challenge is related to the ques-
tion of how the inherited civilization, the feeling of
nostalgia can be used to motivate the creative contri-
butions of Arab architects to humanity within the cur-
rent temporal and spatial framework of the second
decade of the twenty -one century. Hence, the Arab
architects, have a big responsibility to create spaces
that respect and relate to the distinctive Local archi-
tecture, but at the same time, address the present and
explore the future.
109
 7 REFERENCES ASFOUR, K. (2013). The Hassan Fathi Award for Architecture,
Gasser Gamil Abdel-Azim

Alexandria, Egypt: the Centre of Alexandria Studies and

MOHAMMED, TAREK A. (2003) . Manifesto Role in Architectural Mediterranean, Dar El-Kuttub, deposit No.19313/2013, ISBN:
Transformations, unpublished PhD thesis, Faculty of Engineering, 978-977-452-254-8, pp. 7.
Cairo University, pp. 28-29

ESAWY, SALLY M. (2010). Mass Communication and Architecture-

towards Exploring a Communication Mechanism Affected for an
Urban vulture, unpublished Master thesis, Faculty of Engineering,
Cairo University, pp. 33-35

ABDEL-RAOUF, ALI. (2014). From Mecca to Las Vegas, Criticisms

Approaches in Architecture and Sacrosanct, Madarat for Research
and Publishing, first Edition, Deposit No. in the Egyptian Books
House: 21649/2013, ISBN: 978-977-85022-5-1

ABDEL-GHAFFAR, AHMED M. (2000). Beyond the Regional

Architecture, unpublished PhD thesis, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo
open house international vol.42 No.1, March 2017. Towards Contemporariness of Local Architecture: Lessons learned from Previous Experience.

University, pp. 70

ZIDAN, A. (2007). Modern Trends for Engineering the Shape and

Composition in Dealing with the Islamic Heritage in Contemporary
Architecture, unpublished Master Thesis, Faculty of Engineering,
Cairo University, pp. 147

SUTTON, D. (2007). Islamic Design: A Genius for Geometry,

Walker& Company; ASIN: B00OvNUKDE. Al-Harithy, H. (1996).
The Complex of Sultan Hassan in Cairo: Readings between the
Lines, Muqarnas13, the American University of Beirut, pp. 68-79.

AL-HARITHY, H. (1996). The Four Madrasahs in the Complex of

Sultan Hassan (1356–61): The Complete Survey, the American
University of Beirut, pp. 49-55.

KAHIL, A. (2008). The Sultan Hassan Complex in Cairo 1357-1364.

A Case Study in the Formation of Mamluk Style, Ergon; ASIN:
B002ROOFP8, ISBN: 9783899136432.

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture. (1983).Technical Review,

Website from http:// www.akdn.org/architecture/pdf/0291_Egy.pdf

SERAGELDIN, I. (2009). Hassan Fathi –the School and the

Experience, Alexandria, Alexandria Bibliotheca, ISBN: 978-977-
452-164-5, pp. 41

FATHY, H. (1992). Contemporaneity in the City. In Architecture for a

Changing World, edited by James Steele. London: Academy
Editions, pp. 10

ASFOUR, K. (2010). The Hassan Fathi Award for Architecture,

Alexandria, Egypt, Dar El-Kuttub depository number: 11853/2010,
ISBN: 978-977-452-083-9, pp. 80-83.

ISMAIL, A. (2003). Architecture as a Bridge of Cultures, a Dialogue

with the Dr. Abdel Halim Ibrahim, Albenaa, Journal of Architectural
Engineering, issue154, pp. 6

ALI, A. (2011). Albenaa Alaraby, Journal of Architectural

Engineering, 6th year, issue 27 Nov.-Dec., Arab Company for the
specialist Media, Lebanon Square،, El-Mohandeseen, pp. 50-53

SALAMA, ASHRAF A. (1999). Submitted for paper in the Regional

Seminar: Architecture Reintroduced: New Projects in Societies in
Change, Contemporary Architecture of Egypt: Reflections on
Architecture and Urbanism of the Nineties, The Aga Khan Award for
Architecture (AKAA) and The American University of Beirut (AUB) Author(s):
Beirut, Lebanon, 24-27 November 1999.
Gasser Gamil Abdel-Azim
ABDEL-GAWAD, M. (2013). Architecture from Functionalism to Misr International University (MIU), km28 Cairo-
Deconstructivisim, the Anglo-Egyptian library, 165 M. Farid street, Ismailia Road,
Cairo, Egypt, deposit No.: 10074/3201, ISBN: 4-2846-05-977- P.O.Box1, Heliopolis, Egypt
978 Email: gasser.gamil@miuegypt.edu.eg

KHALED, A. ET AL., (2011). Albenaa Alaraby, 6th year, issue 27

Nov.-Dec., Arab Company for the Specialist Media, Lebanon
Square،, El-Mohandeseen, pp. 34-37

110