World-Class
Architect
Born, Cairo, Egypt, 1943,
Medhat Abdou graduated in architecture from the University of Cairo, 1964,
immigrating to Canada,1966. Summer training in West Germany during university
years was the main reason for leaving Egypt to work abroad after graduation.
Travelling through Europe was an awesome experience for Medhat in that
the future architect with Webb Zerafa Menkes Housden was seeing the same
buildings all over Europe that he had studied as a student. Facing uphill
challenges, Canada became his land of destiny. Medhat had one suitcase
and $150 when he left Egypt. By the time he arrived in Montreal,1966, $25
was all that was left. Gaining a job was easy in 1966 as Montreal was booming.
Once the Expo 67 boom had come and gone, Medhat left Montreal for Toronto
joining a multidisciplinary firm as Assistant Architect working on projects
in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. until the start of the 1967 War. In August, 1969,
Mehat joined the WZMH Partnership, an internationally respected architectural
firm. A partner himself since 1985, Medhat Abdou, over a 30 year career,
has been involved in the design of no fewer than 25 major projects world
wide which have honed his skills and taught him how to put complex projects
together. After the 1992 Gulf War, Medhat took on his first major architectural
commission to design four buildings in Abu Dhabi for Etisalat, the telecommunications
giant of the United Arab Emirates. Other projects in the Middle East which
Medhat Abdou has designed include Kuwait’s 85-million-dollar Headquarters
for the Public Institution for Social Security; Beirut’s 100-million-dollar
Trade Centre in Lebanon; Alexandria, Egypt’s 200-million-dollar San Stefano
mixed use complex on the Mediterranean Sea, including a 125 room Four Seasons
Boutique Hotel; and the 300-million-dollar Nile Plaza Four Seasons Hotel
overlooking the Nile River in Cairo. With Hisham T. Mostafa, owner, looking
on, in this view, Medhat Abdou, left, on behalf of WZMH, signs the contract
commissioning him and his Toronto based firm to design the spectacular
Nile Plaza. [Photo, courtesy Medhat Abdou]