Sami Mohsen Alangawi is a Mecca-born Saudi architect. He holds a PhD in Hijazi Islamic architecture from the University of London. Dr. Alangawi has a pioneering philosophy in architecture that is summed up in the necessity of creativity in traditional Islamic architecture patterns and inspiration for its purposes and aesthetics in modern applications. He opposes the Islamic world’s adoption of New York Citystyle architecture, a stance deeply influenced by the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathi who stressed the need for architecture to be a part of the environment. He is a former lecturer at the Harvard Museum of Art and Heritage, as well as the founder of the Hajj Research Center, which he headed between 1975 and 1983. Over the years, he has restored and renovated many historical buildings in the Hijaz region.
