Raghad Ibrahim

Citation:

Mofeed, R., and N. Elhady, "SEEDS FOR NEW ACTUALITY; EXPLORING POTENTIALITIES IN CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE IN EGYPT", the International Conference of the center for the study of architecture in the Arab region (CSAAR) “Regional Architecture and Identity in the Age of Globalization”, Tunisia, 15 November, 2007.

Date Presented:

Abstract:

This paper focuses on the study of the signs that promises good quality in the emerging contemporary architecture in Egypt. We call these indications of desirable changes in architecture; "potentialities". In this respect, we agree with (Leclerc, 1972): “I regard this process of `realizing of a potentiality to produce a new actuality' to be the basic paradigm of change.”
What is presented here is a rethinking of a year long process of critical discussions with post graduate students at Cairo University. Our aim was to recognize and explore local potentialities that can be considered as basic paradigm of change; a change towards promoting new actuality of high quality architecture. We thought of three main issues that constitute the major challenges to architecture in Egypt as a frame work of our search. These issues are; environment, technology and the history.
The paper runs three lines of inquiry; the first outlines the role potentiality could play as a basic paradigm of change. The second focuses on the three raised issues of environment, technology, history. While the third line of inquiry, investigates potentiality in the Egyptian context within the last few decades.

Keywords: Potentiality, History, Technology, Environment, Egyptian architecture.