Heliopolis style is an early 20th-century

architectural style An architectural style is a classification of buildings (and nonbuilding structures) based on a set of characteristics and features, including overall appearance, arrangement of the components, method of construction, building materials used, for ...

developed in the new suburb of Heliopolis in eastern

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. The Belgian

Cairo Electric Railways and Heliopolis Oases Company The Cairo Electric Railways & Heliopolis Oases Company () was formed in Cairo, Egypt in 1906 to develop a 25 square kilometer plot of land into the Heliopolis suburb. It was nationalised in 1960, and remained a state-owned enterprise until it wa ...

, responsible for planning and developing the new suburb, created the new style to implement an exclusive distinctiveness to the design of its buildings. This revivalist style is a synthesis of Medieval

Egyptian Revival Egyptian Revival is an architectural style that uses the motifs and imagery of ancient Egypt. It is attributed generally to the public awareness of ancient Egyptian monuments generated by Napoleon's French campaign in Egypt and Syria, invasion of ...

Moorish Revival Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of Romanticism, Romanticist Orientalism. It reached the height of its popularity after the mi ...

, Persian Revival, and European

Neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of t ...

styles.

Style

The goal of this style was to successfully implement the

aesthetic Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,'' , acces ...

and

functional Functional may refer to: * Movements in architecture: ** Functionalism (architecture) ** Form follows function * Functional group, combination of atoms within molecules * Medical conditions without currently visible organic basis: ** Functional s ...

advantages of the influencing styles. Combining the qualities of these types brought Moorish and Persian facades, Egyptian spatial volumes and ornaments, and European floor plans, and Neoclassical and Moorish interiors together in a homogeneous unit. The Heliopolis style integrated qualities, including: * climatic adaptation techniques of northern Africa (implemented in volumes). * Persian-Moorish Revival sense of architectural style detailing (implemented in facades). * Euro-Egyptian hospitality social traditions, of the early 20th century era (implemented in plans and interior design).

Examples

The Heliopolis suburb is the only example of this unique architectural style, and is still very well preserved. The Heliopolis style is represented there by a large ensemble of buildings in a wide area with the historic form-language. The

Heliopolis Palace The Heliopolis Palace (, ', "Palace of the Presidency of the Republic" or ', "Federation Palace") is one of the five Egyptian presidential palaces and residences, the others being Abdeen Palace, Koubbeh Palace, Montaza Palace and Ras El Ti ...

, originally a grand hotel opened in 1910 and now a

presidential palace A presidential palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. Some presidential palaces were once the official residences to monarchs in former monarchies that were preserved during those states' transition into republics. ...

, is an exceptional example. Architects practicing at the time in this style included

Charles Ayrout Charles Habib Ayrout () (1905 Cairo, Egypt1961 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 ...

and

Henry Habib Ayrout Henry Habib Ayrout, S.J. (1907 – April 10, 1969) was an author, educator, and Jesuit priest in Egypt. His father Habib Ayrout was an Egyptian architect of Syrian Aleppine descent practicing in Cairo, Egypt. After being educated in Paris as an en ...

References

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External links

''Celebration of a suburb'', Al-Ahram weekly online

''French Architect'', Alexandre Marcel ''Heliopolis Company for Housing and Development'' - Currently responsible for the further development of Heliopolis ''Heliopolis: een Belgische droom in Caïro'' (Heliopolis: A Belgique dream in Cairo)''Cairo Landmarks'', Photographic resource ''L'Egypte célèbre le centenaire d'Héliopolis'' (Egypt celebrates the centenary of Heliopolis)''"Un ensemble urbain Art déco en Egypte : Héliopolis, banlieue du Caire", Volait, Mercedes - Piaton, Claudine, 2003'' ''" L’identification d’un ensemble urbain du XXème siècle en Egypte : Héliopolis, Le Caire", Volait, Mercedes, 2008''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heliopolis Style Revival architectural styles Architecture in Egypt History of Cairo African architecture by style

Style

Examples

See also

References

External links