Overview

The pioneering Egyptian architect and teacher Ramses Wissa Wassef (1911-74) is best known for his founding in 1951 of the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre in Harraniya, a small village near the Giza Pyramids in Greater Cairo. The center, internationally acclaimed for its tapestries and sculptures, began partly as an art school for young villagers, reflecting Wissa Wassef's aim of reviving traditional Egyptian architecture and crafts, and his belief in the innate creative power and potential of children. Less well known are Wissa Wassef's prolific architectural output and his efforts and influence beyond the confines of the Harraniya center to promote artistic expression among Egyptian youth. This generously illustrated volume is the first comprehensive survey of Wissa Wassef's architectural works, both extant and non-extant, shedding light on his legacy and significant engagement with vernacular and contemporary Egyptian architecture. Wissa Wassef renounced self-promotion and monetary reward in his work, placing human physical and psychological well-being at the center of his architectural philosophy. An astute observer and modest personality, he saw himself as part of the people and began experimenting with participatory design and people-centered architecture before they became popular. The Architecture of Ramses Wissa Wassef reveals Wissa Wassef's profuse architectural oeuvre, which spanned private villas and rural houses, as well as public buildings, such as churches, schools, and museums, highlighting his rich contribution to Egypt's architectural heritage at a moment when that heritage is at risk of being lost.

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Reviews

"""Visitors to Egypt may be aware of Ramses Wissa Wassef by having visited his Art Center near the Giza Pyramids. Founded in 1952 with the aim of reviving traditional Egyptian architecture and crafts, the center’s vaulted and domed mud-brick buildings set amidst palm trees leave an impression as indelible as the tapestries of village life for which the center is renowned. Less well-known are his other projects, including churches, homes, schools and museums, all of which engage with the architectural legacy of Egypt, drawing upon the vocabulary shared by Pharaonic, Coptic and Islamic periods. Recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Wassef is remembered for his pioneering efforts in sustainable architecture, reviving the use of native materials such as adobe and stone to meet local climatic needs. This handsome and timely volume represents the first comprehensive catalog of Wassef’s works, much of which is nonextant—some projects were never built, while others have been demolished.""—AramcoWorld ""The Architecture of Ramses Wissa Wassef will follow within this body of work and provide a foundational text both for general readers and students, architects and scholars within the extended and intersecting fields of art and architecture.""—Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review"

"""Visitors to Egypt may be aware of Ramses Wissa Wassef by having visited his Art Center near the Giza Pyramids. Founded in 1952 with the aim of reviving traditional Egyptian architecture and crafts, the center's vaulted and domed mud-brick buildings set amidst palm trees leave an impression as indelible as the tapestries of village life for which the center is renowned. Less well-known are his other projects, including churches, homes, schools and museums, all of which engage with the architectural legacy of Egypt, drawing upon the vocabulary shared by Pharaonic, Coptic and Islamic periods. Recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Wassef is remembered for his pioneering efforts in sustainable architecture, reviving the use of native materials such as adobe and stone to meet local climatic needs. This handsome and timely volume represents the first comprehensive catalog of Wassef's works, much of which is nonextant--some projects were never built, while others have been demolished.""--AramcoWorld ""The Architecture of Ramses Wissa Wassef will follow within this body of work and provide a foundational text both for general readers and students, architects and scholars within the extended and intersecting fields of art and architecture.""--Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review"

Author Information

Conchita Añorve-Tschirgi is a licensed architect based in Mexico. She holds one MA in Islamic art and architecture and another in comparative and international education. She was formerly founder and curator of the Regional Architecture Collection at the Rare Books and Special Collections Library of the American University in Cairo, which houses Ramses Wissa Wassef's archive. Ehsan Abushadi is an architect specializing in heritage. She earned her BSc in architectural engineering from the American University in Cairo with minors in anthropology and Arab and Islamic civilizations. During her studies, she worked at the Regional Architecture Collection of the Rare Books and Special Collections Library of the American University in Cairo, which houses Ramses Wissa Wassef's archive. With a degree in architecture from Cairo University Nour El Refai has worked as an architectural photographer in the Middle East and North Africa region since 2005. His work has been published in the Financial Times, the Huffington Post, and more. He has taught architectural photography at universities in Egypt and continues to lead workshops at art and culture centers.

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