The apartment makes the most of its positioning on the top floor of the building with an open-air courtyard and a skylight in the bathroom. The Cairo skyline is a maze of satellite dishes, rebar, minarets and pigeon lofts. Many of its rooftops hold informal housing, often for underprivileged immigrants from the countryside. One rooftop stands out: the apartment of 78-year-old Shahira Mehrez, which tops a six-story building in the upmarket neighborhood of al-Dokki on the west bank of the Nile. Built in 1971 by renowned Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy, who pioneered the use of ecological materials and traditional building design in contemporary settings, the penthouse has been Mehrez’s home for the past 52 years. This story is from Kinfolk Issue Forty-Six Buy Now Related Stories Interiors Issue 46 Bush Modernism Rebuilding the legacy of desert architect Alistair Knox. Interiors Issue 46 Heritage Craft A colorful guesthouse decorated by the artists of Gorée Island. Interiors Issue 46 Rural Splendor A farmhouse turned studio bordering a rugged moor. Interiors Issue 46 California Cool A mid-century post-and-beam house that blends with the nature around it. Interiors Issue 46 Gothic Revival The eclectic ornamentation of Gaudí’s first commission. Interiors Issue 46 Faded Grandeur Peeling back the layers of a scenographer's palatial suite.
Interiors Issue 46 California Cool A mid-century post-and-beam house that blends with the nature around it.
