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Hassan Fathy's Architecture and the Decolonization Of UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Comfortable Modernization: Hassan Fathy’s Architecture and the Decolonization of Egypt A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture by Mohamed Monkez Shaker 2019 © Copyright by Mohamed Monkez Shaker 2019 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Comfortable Modernization: Hassan Fathy’s Architecture and the Decolonization of Egypt by Mohamed Monkez Shaker Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture University of California, Los Angeles, 2019 Professor Sylvia Lavin, Co-Chair Professor Michael Osman, Co-Chair The 20th century modernization of the developing world came with its own discomforts. This project looks at a particular episode in the modernization of Egypt. The architecture of Hassan Fathy, as this dissertation argues, aimed at comforting its subjects towards the emerging forces of modernization. This dissertation looks at Fathy’s engagement with the problems of modernity and contemporaneity, especially in rural context, and how his architecture aimed at positioning its subjects in a state of equilibrium by providing a model for managing the conflicting temporalities of change. This dissertation connects multiple forms of archival materials and looks at Fathy’s treatment of the book, the brick, space, the environment and the window screen to develop what could be described as a theory of comfortable modernization. ii The dissertation of Mohamed Monkez Shaker is approved. Dell Upton Dana Cuff Michael Osman, Committee Co-Chair Sylvia Lavin, Committee Co-Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2019 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ……………………………………………………………………………… iv List of Figures …………………………………………………………………………………. vi Acknowledgment ……………………………………………………………………………… xi Biographical Sketch …………………………………………………………………………...xiii INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………………. 1 Contemporaneity and Comfort ………………………………………………… 2 Biographical Note and Historiographical Framing ……………………………. 9 CHAPTER 1 Transpositions: Books, Drawings and Photographs ……………………………………...... 21 The Comforts of the Book …………………………………………………….. 24 The Mosque at New Gourna ………………………………………………....... 27 The Cooperative Method …………………………………………………….... 32 The Creative Architect ………………………………………………………….35 Figures………………………………………………………………………… 48 CHAPTER 2 Standard Bricks: Management and Economy ……………………………….................… 62 On Bricks ……………………………………………………………………... 65 Rural Development …………………………………………………………… 70 Bahtim Farms …………………………………………………………………. 74 The Industrialization of Mud …………………………………………………. 77 Figures ………………………………………………………………………… 88 CHAPTER 3 Expressive Dwellings: Space ………………………………………………...…………….. 94 Dwellings in Developing Countries …………………………………………. 97 Cities of the Future …………………………………………………………… 99 Criminality and Progress …………………………………………………… 108 The Expressive Dwelling ……………………………………………………. 110 iv Built-ins ……………………………………………………………………… 114 Figures ……………………………………………………………………….. 121 CHAPTER 4 Regulated Microclimates: Architectural Machine …………………………………......… 135 Air Conditioning ……………………………………………………………... 137 Air Conditioning in place of Architecture …………………………………… 140 Reyner Banham and Air Conditioning ………………………………………. 142 The Architecture of the Well-tempered Environment ……………………….. 146 Comfort in the Local Environment ……………………………………………148 Technology at the Service of Culture ………………………………………… 152 Architecture as a Climate Control Machine ………………………………….. 154 Figures …………………………………………………………………………161 CHAPTER 5 Viewing Windows: Privacy and Transparency….……………………………...…………. 173 The Modern Window ……………………………………………………….... 175 The Contemporary Window …………………………………………………. 182 The Mashrabeya ……………………………………………………………… 183 Transpositions ………………………………………………………………... 185 Multiple Conditions of Viewing: Near and Far Views ………………………. 187 Multiple Conditions of Viewing: Concentration ……………………………... 191 Figures …………………………………………………………………………198 CONCLUSION ..…………………………………………………………………………… 205 Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………………. 208 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 Mosque in New Gourna. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 1.2 Appendix I: Cost Analysis of Labor and Rates of the Execution of Works. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 1.3 Masons at work in New Gourna. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 1.4 Fathy’s graduation project for a courthouse, 1926. From: Leila El-Wakil, Hassan Fathy: An Architectural Life (Cairo and New York: The American University in Cairo Press, 2018) Figure 1.5 Hassan Fathy’s Gouache painting. From: Leila El-Wakil, Hassan Fathy: An Architectural Life (Cairo and New York: The American University in Cairo Press, 2018) Figure 1.6 Test design for New Gourna. From: Leila El-Wakil, Hassan Fathy: An Architectural Life (Cairo and New York: The American University in Cairo Press, 2018) Figure 1.7 Floor Plan of the Mosque at New Gourna. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 1.8 Hassan Fathy’s photograph of the Mosque in New Gounra in 1948. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 1.9 Roger Viollet’s photograph of the Mosque in New Gourna in 1968. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 1.10 Sketch of the New Gourna Mosque, 1946. From: Hassan Fathy Archive (Geneva, Switzerland: Aga Khan Trust for Culture) Figure 1.11 Sketch of the New Gourna Mosque, 1946. From: Hassan Fathy Archive (Geneva, Switzerland: Aga Khan Trust for Culture) Figure 1.12 Sketch of the New Gourna Mosque, 1946. From: Hassan Fathy Archive (Geneva, Switzerland: Aga Khan Trust for Culture) vi Figure 1.13 Gouache painting of the New Gourna Mosque. From: James Steele, An Architecture for People: The Complete Works of Hassan Fathy (New York: Whitney Library of Design, 1997) Figure 1.14 Sketch of the New Gourna Mosque, December 1948. From: Hassan Fathy Archive (Geneva, Switzerland: Aga Khan Trust for Culture) Figure 2.1 Cover of Al Emara Journal. From: Al Emara Journal, vol. 3, 4 (1940) Figure 2.2 Mudbrick houses in the village of New Gourna. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 2.3 Society of Agriculture Farm in Bahtim, 1941. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 2.4 Mudbrick construction in New Gourna. From: Leila El-Wakil, Hassan Fathy: An Architectural Life (Cairo and New York: American University in Cairo Press, 2018) Figure 2.5 New Gourna Brickyard. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 2.6 Cost Analysis documents. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 3.1 Fathy’s notes on Doxiadis’ Architecture in Transition. From: Hassan Fathy Archives, Personal Library, Rare Books and Special Collection Library, The American University in Cairo. Figure 3.2 Fathy’s notes on Doxiadis’ Architecture in Transition. From: Hassan Fathy Archives, Personal Library, Rare Books and Special Collection Library, The American University in Cairo. Figure 3.3 The Qa’a Layout at Muhibb al-Din al-Muwaqqi House, one of the major medieval inspirations for Fathy. From: Hassan Fathy, “The Qa’a of the Cairene Arab House: Its Development and some new Usage for its Design Concepts,” in International Colloquium on the History of Cairo (Cairo: 1970) Figure 3.4 Qa’a Layout of Typical bedroom design in New Gourna. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) vii Figure 3.5 Qa’a Layout in the main living space at Mit Rehan House, 1981. From: Leila El-Wakil, Hassan Fathy: An Architectural Life (Cairo and New York: The American University in Cairo Press, 2018) Figure 3.6 Qa’a Layout as solution to compact urban spaces. From: Hassan Fathy, “The Qa’a of the Cairene Arab House: Its Development and some new Usage for its Design Concepts,” in International Colloquium on the History of Cairo (Cairo: 1970) Figure 3.7 Qa’a as a Modern Theatre. Qa’a space at Djamal al-Din al-Dhahabi, 1637. From: Hassan Fathy, “The Qa’a of the Cairene Arab House: Its Development and some new Usage for its Design Concepts,” in International Colloquium on the History of Cairo (Cairo: 1970) Figure 3.8 Fireplace Alcove in New Gourna. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 3.9 Mudbrick houses in new Gourna, 1948. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 3.10 The Theatre in New Gourna. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 3.11 The Market at New Gourna. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 3.12 House in New Gourna. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 3.13 School in New Gourna. From: Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the Poor (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1973) Figure 3.14
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