Elie Azagury

Elie Azagury (Arabic: إيلي الزاقوري; 1918-2009) was an influential Moroccan architect and director of the Groupe des Architectes Modernes Marocains (GAMMA) after Moroccan independence in 1956. He is considered the first Moroccan modernist architect, with works in cities such as Casablanca, Tangier, and Agadir. Azagury was also a controversial and outspoken Communist, and was active designing cités, or social housing projects made up of modular units, in places like Hay Hassani in Casablanca. These projects combined elements of modern and vernacular architecture, taking local culture and lifestyles into account.