Egypt joins Geneva negotiations on Global Plastics Treaty, calls for urgent agreement    Egypt delivers over 30 million health services through public hospitals in H1 2025    Madinet Masr in talks for three land plots in Riyadh as part of Saudi expansion    Egypt's PM tells Palestinian PM that Rafah crossing is working 24/7 for aid    Egypt, Japan discuss economic ties, preparations for TICAD conference    Real Estate Developers urge flexible land pricing, streamlined licensing, and dollar-based transactions    Egypt's Sisi pledges full state support for telecoms, tech investment    EGP inches down vs. USD at Sunday's trading close    EGX launches 1st phone app    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Auguste Perret's Villa Aghion under threat in Alexandria
Published in Daily News Egypt on 11 - 02 - 2014

You may remember the campaign to save Alexandria's historical buildings, Save Alex, from last year after their campaign to save the ex-German consulate building in the Kafr Abdou district and the Villa Cicurel. Rapid population increase generated greater demand for high rise buildings, and the city's residents have paid the cost, sometimes with their lives, when the poorly-structured buildings collapse. Others say they cannot recognise their own neighbourhoods anymore and that the cultural heritage of Alexandria is being eroded.
Law 144/2006 was drafted to protect buildings, such as Perret's Villa Aghion, but critics say its phrasing is problematic and provides legal loopholes that allow the demolition of historical buildings. In its second article, the law states that "it is not permitted to demolish buildings with a unique architectural style that relates to national history or a historical character or a tourist site".
Renowned architect Auguste Perret designed several buildings in Egypt, three of which are in Alexandria. One of his designs, the Villa of Gustave Aghion, is threatened to be demolished. Some of Perret's buildings have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including his rebuilding of Le Havre after its destruction in World War II. He famously designed the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and the concert hall of the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris.
The villa was built in 1922 and is located in Wabur al-Mayya, a 19th century district in Alexandria. A 2009 article by Alaa El-Habashy from INVISU, a website dedicated to providing information on art history, says the building is the only one of Perret's to have a published photograph and is possibly Perret's first in Egypt. El-Habashy notes that Perret designed three levels of projection in the facades: columns, beams, and in-fills. Perret's design of the building received much attention and was mention in the French magazine l'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui.
Following an illegal demolition attempt in 2009, the villa remained in a delicate state until the Save Alex initiative and the neighbourhood provided security in 2012. Today, there is a court order to demolish the building. Other buildings that have been similarly condemned include Villa Ambron, where Laurence Durell lived, and Villa Cicurel. Save Alex contributed to stopping the demolishing of the latter but Villa Cicurel remains in a threatened state and its future is unknown.
"There is a problem with the law itself. Law 144/2006 sets forth conditions that form criteria for buildings to be considered heritage but its phrasing means some conditions must exist together, making it more difficult to protect buildings as heritage. Some also get around this legal protection by getting an expert from the Ministry of Antiquities to say that a building is not an antiquity when of course, it is not, because it is heritage," said founding member of Save Alex, Mohamed Aboul Kheir, who is an academic and architect.
The campaign is currently calling for volunteers to help stop the demolition of the already partially-damaged villa and is raising awareness, but the future of Perret's unique design and possibly first building in Egypt, remains to be seen.


Clic here to read the story from its source.