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Known for her innovative architectural projects across Europe and the Middle East, architect Shahira Fahmy holds three prestigious Harvard scholarships, including the esteemed GSD LOEB Fellowship, the prestigious FAS Hutchins Fellowship, and the coveted Harvard Law School Berkman Klein Scholarship. Her pioneering contributions earned her the title of “Architect of the Arab Future”, a title captured in the influential book 100 Women: In Practice by Monika Parrinder and others, published by the Royal Institute of British Architects Architects”. Despite the challenges, Fahmy completed the daunting task of restoring Dar Tantora The House Hotel, an archaeological site in the historic Old Town of AlUla.
Egyptian architect Shahira Fahmy has reconstructed an existing archaeological site – Dar Tantora The House Hotel – in the historic village of AlUla’s old town.
Fahmi was handpicked by the Royal Commission for AlUla to take on the daunting challenge of transforming a number of ancient mud-brick buildings into boutique hotels. Fahmi emphasized the unique complexities of her assignment, as the ancient Islamic city has a rich historical background and is an archaeological site rather than a blank canvas for construction. She detailed the meticulous restoration process, which included using local materials to form bricks on site and strictly following the area’s architectural style, characterized by stone foundations and a two-story structure.
Fahmy and her team painstakingly restored 30 buildings in total, respecting the original layout and functionality of the city’s inhabitants over centuries. They replicated architectural features such as cross-ventilation for optimal airflow and terrace rooms that mimic historical cooling techniques. Fahmy worked closely with local craftsmen and researchers, including a team from Egypt with expertise in mud brick and palm material construction, ensuring the authenticity of every detail.
Fahmi and her team collaborated with local artisans and researchers, as well as a team from Egypt.
The city’s heritage conservation is not limited to the architecture, but also includes interior murals and paintings that have been carefully preserved with the help of archaeological experts. While modern amenities such as Wi-Fi and limited power sockets have been introduced to accommodate contemporary guests, traditional cooking methods using wood fires have been retained to provide an authentic cooking experience.
“Once you enter this 12th-century room, you enter another place entirely,” said the architects.
The artistic integrity of the project is further enriched through collaboration with local artists, who contribute paintings and decorative elements inspired by the region’s cultural heritage. Fahmy is extremely proud of the completion of the project, especially when seeing the space come alive with the presence of guests, validating the careful restoration work and activating the site for contemporary use. Although it was no easy challenge, Fahmy and her team threw themselves into the project and completed it in just six months. On January 21, the hotel officially opened.
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