George Rais
1915 - 2002
Nationality
Palestine & Lebanon
Palestine & Lebanon
Education
"Architectural Association, London, no degree.ALBA 1971"
"Architectural Association, London, no degree.ALBA 1971"
Degree
Architect
Architect
Year
1971
1971
Work
StartEndBuildingLocationCountry
Number of published projects in the database: 9
Notes
George Rais is a Palestinian architect of Lebanese origins (from Hasbaya), born in Egypt. After he graduated in Economics from the London School of Economics, he studied at the AA and at the Bartlett School but did not graduate. He later was granted a degree in December 1971 from ALBA, Beirut, in the middle of his busy career. His project was a four-storey office building made of prefabricated systems and flexible panels. He later put this precast ceiling incorporating lighting fixtures and movable partitions into practice in a project built in association with Jordanian architect Jafar Tukan for a client in Abu Dhabi.
With an unwaveringly rational response, far from formal historical reference, Rais developed a consistent sensitivity to the particularities of place and program, hence of context. In the many buildings he designed in Lebanon since the late 1940s, the simplicity of his designs is enriched by a painstaking attention to detail. Many Lebanese architects of the younger generation admit they have learnt a lot from contact with George Rais, who is recognized as a master of detail. Rais engaged deeply in the conception of details through his partnership with Theo Canaan and Elias Feghali in Delta Construction, a contracting company.
He designed many buildings in partnership with other architects; his works include: With Theo Canaan: In Haifa, Palestine, 1941, Building Raja Rais (2); 1944, Commercial Center, 1944 Roman Catholic Bishopric. In Jerusalem, Palestine, 1953, Ambassador Hotel. In Lebanon: 1948-49, IPC housing in Tripoli; 1949-51, Building Arida (Galerie Boutros). With Theo Canaan and Assem Salam: 1952-53, Building Pan American; 1953 Villa Jamil Mekkaoui. With Jafar Tukan: 1970s, Building Starco 2; 1971, Building Habibi in Beit Mery; 1974, Villa Mahmoud Said (now Kamal Saleh) in Chemlane; 1984, several Kindergarten schools in Abu Dhabi.
(George Arbid)
See also: George Rais & Theo Canaan
Theo Canaan
Jafar Tukan
With an unwaveringly rational response, far from formal historical reference, Rais developed a consistent sensitivity to the particularities of place and program, hence of context. In the many buildings he designed in Lebanon since the late 1940s, the simplicity of his designs is enriched by a painstaking attention to detail. Many Lebanese architects of the younger generation admit they have learnt a lot from contact with George Rais, who is recognized as a master of detail. Rais engaged deeply in the conception of details through his partnership with Theo Canaan and Elias Feghali in Delta Construction, a contracting company.
He designed many buildings in partnership with other architects; his works include: With Theo Canaan: In Haifa, Palestine, 1941, Building Raja Rais (2); 1944, Commercial Center, 1944 Roman Catholic Bishopric. In Jerusalem, Palestine, 1953, Ambassador Hotel. In Lebanon: 1948-49, IPC housing in Tripoli; 1949-51, Building Arida (Galerie Boutros). With Theo Canaan and Assem Salam: 1952-53, Building Pan American; 1953 Villa Jamil Mekkaoui. With Jafar Tukan: 1970s, Building Starco 2; 1971, Building Habibi in Beit Mery; 1974, Villa Mahmoud Said (now Kamal Saleh) in Chemlane; 1984, several Kindergarten schools in Abu Dhabi.
(George Arbid)
See also: George Rais & Theo Canaan
Theo Canaan
Jafar Tukan
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