CONTEXTUAL COMPATIBILITY IN URBAN SETTINGS

Abstract

ln present time, conscious attempts towards the development of contemporary architecture all over the world are numerous, fluctuating from an in-depth implementation of recent appropriate technology to spontaneous emergent trends that embody individual artistic emotions. However, architecture that bears reverence to the surrounding context in terms of its skin attributes is Jess than remarkable within the concomitant modes and fashions. Besides, to envisage an architecture that looks compatible with its physical environment entails the presence of a clear and legible built environment whose character is distinguishable and anticipates the necessity of proceeding into an architectural continuity. Having the generative and inspiring context in the architect's hand, the remaining responsibilities are the architect's individual understanding and interpreting of all relevant visual cues of the surrounding setting and his/her relative awareness of the importance of visual continuity within the setting. In this regard, the research is developed to be concerned with three main issues.

First, the elaboration of ideologies and theoretical referential sources that contribute in the formulation of appropriate contextual language whether by advocating the preservation of local character or the standing out from the context and the intentional opposition against it. Subsequently, the suggested contextual design strategies that act as development guidelines for those concerned in assuring contextuality in their architecture is consecutively introduced through different formats. Second, exploring some of the most recently produced images of westem architecture categorized as deconstructivist to discover implicit potentials that, despite all the apparently holistic unfamiliarity and hostility of the resulted shapes towards the built environment, still looks into achieving a sympathetic connection with the setting, a statement of purpose that justifies, in the designer's eye, why the building fits-in appropriately. Third segment is questioning the contemporary Egyptian attitude towards contextual compatibility conceptions.