Ali Labib Gabr

Ali Labib Gabr was born in Cairo, the youngest of two sons of Mohammed Refaat Gabr and his wife Saheer Hanem El Beida. He was educated at the Khedivial School, then at Cairo’s Polytechnical School, graduating from its Architectural Department in 1920. That same year, he was granted a government scholarship to complete his studies at University of Liverpool School of Architecture, where he was known as a talented draughtsman. For his these, Gabr submitted the working designs for a theatre; Sir Charles Herbert Reilly said that they were “the best set ever submitted to the school". Following his 1924 graduation, Gabr spent some time in London, working for Nicholas & Dixon-Spain, and then returned to Cairo. ==Career==

Gabr returned to his former school, working as Assistant Lecturer at the Architectural Department of the Polytechnical School. He became a Lecturer in 1927, and a Professor in 1930. In 1934, he became the school's Dean and held that post until 1955. However, beginning in 1928, he had a busy private practice. His first villas, designed in the typical Italianate manner of the time, reveal an early involvement with ornamental Art Deco but he was a great admirer of Willem Marinus Dudok and his work soon moved toward the cubism and Neoplasticism of the Amsterdam School. For his work on this project, Gabr was awarded the Medal of Sciences & Arts in 1964. ==Personal life and death==

Gabr was married with one child. He was an avid photographer and painter and, for many years, led the Cairo Art Society. He traveled widely and used his knowledge of international trends and ideas in his teaching. He died in Cairo in 1966. His Lawyers’ Syndicate Building remains Cairo's rallying point for political and social activism. ==Known works==

• Muhammad Rida Bey Villa, Zamalek, 1932 • Muhammad Fathy Villa, Giza, 1932 • Umm Kulthum Villa, Zamalek, 1935 • Makram Ebeid Villa, Alexandria, 1936 • Misr Spinning and Weaving Company Workers' Housing Development, El Mahalla El Kubra, 1936 • Villa Erfan-Liscovitch, Maadi, 1937 • Ahmed Kamel Pasha Building, Cairo, 1938 • Embassy of Lebanon, Zamalek, 1939 • Ali Hussein Bey Ayoub House, Zamalek, 1940 • Abd Al-Hamid bey Attia Villa, Cairo, 1940 • Waqf Raafat Bey Block, Cairo, 1940 • Al-Shurbaji Factories, Imbaba, 1940 • Raafat Bey Building, Cairo, 1941 • Lawyers’ Syndicate Building, Cairo, 1948 • Misr Rayon Company Mills Workers' Housing Development, Kafr El Dawwar, 1950 • National Center for Scientific Research, 1950 • Misr Spinning and Weaving Company Plant and Workers' Housing Development, Helwan, 1951 • Mohammed Abdel Wahab Villa, Zamalek, 1951 • Ali Labib Gabr Building, Zamalek, 1951 • Government Press Building, Cairo, 1953 • National Research Centre Building, Cairo, 1956 • New Cataract Hotel, Aswan, 1961 • Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor, 1963 ==References==