Fassi Arts & Crafts Apprenticeship_Robert Rostron

The medina is a relic to the past. A distant memory of how things once were. Camera happy tourists swarm the streets. Artisans with weathered leather hands show off their work. The craftsman is a dying profession: But they are still the heart + soul of life in the medina. No crafts = no medina. The crafts + arts trade needs resurrecting. Where are the young Fassi generation in the medina? They have no purpose to live there. It doesn’t suit the modern Fassi lifestyle. Those in the new town without university degrees struggle to find jobs. There’s the market. There’s the infrastructure. A new typology needs creating in the medina: a school for young apprentices to learn the crafts. This new typology needs to see the balance between heritage + modernity: to adopt an ancient profession whilst still living a 21^st century lifestyle. This new typology will act as a catalyst for each district. The artisans and crafts trade will prosper. Young people shall return + breathe life back into the medina. Restore and regenerate: the evolving medina.

The Tourist Trap, Fez Medina 2011 _ Sam Westbrook

The Labyrinth   

The labyrinths a retail zone were tourist can come to buy locally produced goods, crafts and art work. They will be guided through the ground floor plan of the traditional courtyard houses that make up the existing cluster of buildings, re-configured the new transitional route will move the user from one Courtyard to the other passing by boutique shops and market stools, were they will be given the opportunity to purchase goods, whilst admiring the traditional courtyards and interiors. 

Movement through the Labyrinth follows a specific path, starting at one point and culminating at another. The internal layout of shops and stalls is organized around the nature of the products sold, clustering those similar together.

Artisans' Quarter_Joanna Hiew

Place Lalla Yeddouna is a public square located in the centre of the Medina. Rather than a social meeting place, this square has lost its purpose and is currently a wide passageway leading to the Medina. This project aims to revitalize Place Lalla Yeddouna through reconfiguring the public square, rebuilding the artisans’ quarter and reconnecting the public users to the Fes River.

The Artisans’ Quarter is a new artisan hub consisting of 3 main components namely, the: working and living spaces for the artisans, an exhibition and learning centre for visitors as well as a café for both local residents and tourists. Inspired by courtyard forms and narrow alleyways within the Medina, this proposal is conceived as a single building comprising of these elements. The building is accessed via 2 small openings which lead to the respective courtyards of either the artisans’ workshops or the exhibition centre. These courtyards allow the flow of natural daylight and ventilation into the building and are linked by a walkway which is exposed to the sky.

By removing the derelict building on the North of the site, an open green space with a seating area can be created, giving focus to the mulberry tree and Lalla Yeddouna Fountain. Further landscaping is created through crawling plants on roof terraces which also provide ample shading.

It is hoped that the Artisans’ Quarter will act as an urban catalyst and contribute to the improvement of the relationship between the local community and foreign visitors who are keen to learn more about the local culture and unique brass craftsmanship that Fes has been so well known for.

Medina Community Complex_Mariam Shaari

The new complex will support activities for youth and adults, expected to be an exemplary cultural site, economic stimulator and generator for the development of other projects in Fez, its region and Morocco. Aimed to refurbish and rebuild existing historic structures whilst providing a mixed use of urban spaces for the community as well as visitors to the Medina.

The concept of Restore and Rejuvenate is to restore the old existing building and rejuvenate the surrounding environment. The outline of the old building will be maintained but improved for the purpose of design to eliminate the need for a total demolition. The focus is also placed on the idea of encouraging local activities in the area and promoting the rejuvenation of social activities directly, and the nearby river indirectly. The outcome of the design is also aimed at the intention to preserve and promote comprehension of unique local cultures and activities.

Artefacts of Andalus, Rue Guernis, Fes, Morocco_Benjamin Hale

It would sound strange in the 1970s if the term ‘post-impact conservation’ was mentioned, as far as conservation is concerned, this was when the median and the city of Fez as a whole saw it's greatest expansion with the influx of local immigrants into the medina. Broadly speaking, conservation signifies archeological preservation of valuable objects that may likely become extinct. Today, it goes beyond a mere celebration of an historical icon. The pressure of human needs in urban heritage sites has widened the scope of conservation in order to go in tandem with social and economic development. Conservationists came to realise that their task of scrutinising stones and cleaning surfaces is negatively affected by a dearth of funding. The pressing need of the people whose heritage is a living and not a static legacy is consequently dashed.

Interposition: Contemporary living within a World Heritage City_Hannah Dyas

The chosen site; Rue Guernis, presented an opportunity to experiment with a contemporary scheme whilst respecting and maintaining some of the traditional qualities of the medina. The brief attempted to address the problem of providing accommodation within the medina which appeals to younger generation.

Edible Fez_Sara Dowle

An immediate response to Place Lalla Yeddouna is its dynamic character and the constant flow of activity. Although the craftspeople give the square an element of identity and the stream of people is buzzing and incessant, the space can currently only be considered as a thoroughfare.

Culture Tangle_Philippa Birch

A sympathetic bridging element between two existing courtyard houses providing different functions. This intervention is a meeting point and knowledge exchange between tourist (tourist information centre/cafe) and guide (a guide school for children aged 15+)  keeping clear of the thread makers working in the streets. It is a catalyst to encourage circulation above ground: rooftop walkways in the winter months. It also encourages a healthy attitude for future riad owners as they have a change to sample and learn about the culture. 

Le Maroc

 I came across this French book, Le Maroc by Jean-Louis Miege, in the depths of the UoM library. It was published in 1952 as part of a Collection Le Beaux Pays. Although I haven't translated the text, there are some great photographs of Fez and other Moroccan cities at the time - and I'd go as far to say that nothing has changed! If you want to have a look, I'll bring it along to studio!
Images from Le Maroc by J-L. Miege. 1952.

Fez Panorama

Chouwara tannery - Fes, Morocco in Morocco