Charles Ayrout


Charles Habib Ayrout was an architect practising in Cairo and is considered one of that city's 'List of [Egyptian architects|pioneer' generation], as well as a Belle Epoque/Art Déco architect for his landmark buildings and villas, and was one of the most active builders in its Heliopolis district. He summarised his approach in 1932 as to “bring to Heliopolis the principles of modern architecture, but not of avantgarde architecture."

Family

His father, Habib Ayrout, was an Egyptian architect and contractor, born into a family originally from Aleppo, Syria. After being educated in Paris as an engineer-architect, Habib Ayrout participated in the planning and construction of Heliopolis.
Charles Ayrout had two brothers, the Jesuit priest Henry Habib Ayrout and Max Ayrout, who was also an architect practicing in Cairo.

Style

Ayrout was part of a movement of French educated Syrian-Lebanese Egyptian architects, who were strongly influenced by the French 'modern classicism' of Michel Poux-Spitz and Pol Abraham. This movement also included Antonine Selim Nahas and Raymond Antonious. However, he stressed on learning the principles of Modrnist architecture, and reapplying them in Egypt as opposed to copying them.
Works in Cairo include