Domes, vaults, and mud bricks: form and construction in the work of Hassan Fathy

The aim of the paper is to explore the use of domes and vaults in the work of the Egyptian master architect Hassan Fathy. Specifically, it discusses how the use of these forms, which originated from a practical need, would end up becoming a key expressive element of Fathy’s architectural poetics. The paper is divided into three parts. The first explores Fathy’s choice to work with domes and vaults built from mud bricks. Fathy’s understanding of the importance of the vaulting system in Egyptian history is emphasized, with a particular focus on his discovery of traditional Nubian architecture. The second discusses the evolution over time of Fathy’s architectural language where the domes and vaults took on a constituent role. One aspect highlighted is how a construction technique came to be translated into expressive forms, which were both a stylistic feature of the architect and his attempt to declare a cultural belonging with respect to the context he was operating in. Finally, the third part addresses how Fathy’s idea of architecture was acknowledged by several of his disciples, with a focus on the Halawa House, designed by Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil and honored by the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1980.