<\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Alexandria is one of Egypt\u2019s oldest cities. Created in 332 BC by Alexander the Great, vibrating capital of Egypt and major Mediterranean harbor, Alexandria became a turning point for industry and trade in Egypt\u2019s modern history. During the reign of reformer M\u00e9h\u00e9met Ali (1804-1849), through a modernist dynamic, a wave of European migration introduced western architecture in Egypt. The cosmopolitan, rich and unique architectural mixes of Alexandria turn it into a real heritage of several eras.
\nToday, this architectural heritage is fading away. Abandoned, damaged, voluntarily deteriorated or destroyed by the owners, the buildings heritage-listed on a national, communal or local level portray nowadays a major cultural issue.<\/p>\n
The 144\/2006 legislation allowed for the creation of two committees in charge of identifying all of Alexandria\u2019s buildings which have a \u201cremarkable architectural style\u201d, that are \u201clinked to a national event or a historical figure\u201d, illustrating \u201ca historical period\u201d or finally showcasing \u201can interest in terms of tourism\u201d.
\nThus, 1135 buildings in downtown Alexandria have been classified as national, municipal or local heritage, and are therefore prohibited from demolition. This measure, taken vertically, was not welcomed by the owners of classified buildings. Today, out of the 1135 buildings listed, more than 1000 are at risk of being downgraded to appeal. Weaknesses in Law 144\/2006 as well as profound divergences between public policies and private owners endanger the city’s architectural heritage. According to the Save Alex Association, 36 historic buildings have been demolished since 2011, either illegally or after being downgraded, such as the Villa Aghion, built in 1926 by the famous architect Auguste Perret and 80% destroyed before being recovered by the Egyptian Government by expropriation.<\/p>\n
Laws regulating the relationship between owners and tenants also accelerate the degradation process of classified buildings. Prohibition of eviction, rent freezes, leases transferable to subsequent generations, deprive private owners of the opportunity to maximize the profits of their real estate. There are cases of voluntary deterioration and destruction of buildings in order to remove tenants, downgrade them, or authorize their demolition for eminent peril. Added to this is a major real estate speculation, an uncontrolled expansion of the city, a lack of political will and a general lack of interest in this modern heritage in favour of a more attractive ancient heritage for tourists.<\/p>\n
There is therefore an urgent need to put in place a sustainable built heritage management plan in Alexandria in which private sector owners and their economic interests are taken into account. Indeed, the economic situation following the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, sets aside the possibility that the public sector may acquire and preserve these buildings. Thus, it is essential to create levers to ensure that the restoration and conservation of this heritage is as economically viable as the sale of a building plot, and in this way to ease the existing tensions between the need to preserve the architectural heritage and private owners of listed buildings.<\/p>\n
Adaptive reuse is the suggested strategy for promoting such buildings.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″]