Charles Ayrout

Charles Habib Ayrout (Arabic: شارل حبيب عيروط-) (1905 Cairo, Egypt - 1965 Cairo, Egypt) was an architect practising in Cairo and is considered one of that city's 'pioneer' generation, as well as a Belle Epoque/Art Déco (1920–1940) architect for his landmark buildings and villas,.[1] and was one of the most active builders in its Heliopolis district.[2] He summarised his approach in 1932 as to “bring to Heliopolis the principles of modern architecture, but not of avantgarde architecture."[2]

Charles Habi
Born
Charles Habib Ayrout

OccupationArchitect
Buildings
  • Mosseri Building
  • Ayrout Villa, Zamalek
  • Halim Doss Bldg
  • Villa Valadji

Family

His father, Habib Ayrout, was a Syro-Lebanese Egyptian architect and contractor practicing in Cairo. After being educated in Paris as an engineer-architect, Habib Ayrout participated in the planning and construction of Heliopolis.[3]

Charles Ayrout had two brothers, the Jesuit priest Henry Habib Ayrout and Max Ayrout, who was also an architect practicing in Cairo.[3]

Style

Ayrout was part of a movement of French educated Syrio-Lebanese Egyptian architects, who were strongly influenced by the French 'modern classicism' of Michel Poux-Spitz and Pol Abraham. This movement also included Antonine Selim Nahas and Raymond Antonious.[4] However, he stressed on learning the principles of Modrnist architecture, and reapplying them in Egypt as opposed to copying them.[2]

Works in Cairo include

[5]
  • Bldg, 26 July/Hassan Sabri, Zamalek
  • 25 Mansour Street, Bab al-Louk
  • Ayrout Bldg, Cherif Pasha Street
  • Bldg Shawarby Street
  • Ayrout Villa, Zamalek
  • Mosseri Building (now Mofti) on Shagaret Al Durr St., Zamalek
  • Bishara Bldg, Nile Avenue
  • Halim Doss Bldg, Midan Shafakhana
  • Ibrahimieh Secondary School, Garden City
  • Kahil Bldg, Kantaret al-Dikka
  • Bldg Gamal el Dine Abou El Mahassen, Garden City (1951)
  • Villa Valadji, Heliopolis

See also

References

  1. Mercedes Volait Le Caire-Alexandrie: Architectures Européennes 1850-1950 (co-edition IFAO/CEDEJ 2001)
  2. Volait, Mercedes (2006-09-01). "Mediating and domesticating modernity in Egypt : uncovering some forgotten pages". Docomomo Journal.
  3. Timothy Mitchell Rule of Experts: Egypt, Techno-Politics, Modernity, University of California Press, 2002, pg. 332
  4. R. Stephen Sennott (editor), Encyclopedia of 20th Century Architecture, Vol. 1, Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 2004, pg. 202
  5. Cairo's Belle Époque architects 1900 - 1950, compiled by Samir Raafat

Further reading

Studies where Ayrout's work is discussed:

On the Belle Époque architecture in Cairo:

  • Cynthia Myntti, Paris Along the Nile: Architecture in Cairo from the Belle Epoque, American University in Cairo Press, 2003.
  • Trevor Mostyn, Egypt's Belle Epoque: Cairo and the Age of the Hedonists, Tauris Parke Paperbacks, 2006.
  • A list of Cairo's Belle Époque architects 1900 - 1950, compiled by Samir Raafat.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.