The Art Deco Villa Badrawi at No. 5 Ahmed Pasha Street in Garden City was designed in the 1930s by Léon Azéma, a French architect active in Cairo. Originally, the house was owned by a Syrian family named Boulad-Nahas. Thereafter, sold to Abdelaziz Mohamed Badrawi Pasha, the villa was bequeathed to the heir Nadia Badrawi. It is the current residence of Japanese ambassador in Cairo.
The two-storey house comprises two rectangular volumes arranged asymmetrically. The upper part of the elevation is delimited by a cornice, supported by corbels. The layout of the villa is based on symmetry and asymmetry. Indeed, the last floor contains a symmetrical range of semi-circular arch openings with rounded blinds, contrasting with the asymmetrical disposition of the volumes.
The main entrance opens onto a central stairway with rectangular steps providing access to a porch that is raised on Neo-classical columns and a corresponding terrace with a wrought-iron balustrade.
Léon Azéma integrates in his design an
eclectic Beaux-Arts style with Neo-classical features such as columns and Art Deco
elements. One of the specific features is the frieze under the cornice with vegetal
style patterns inspired by French Art Deco. Designed as a complete work of art,
all the decor of the original interior was entirely the work of the architect.
Author: Lobna Montasser
