Traversing through the narrow streets of Sana’a, the capital city of Yemen, clusters of mid-rise tower houses, made of mud, rammed earth, and burnt brick, captivate the attention of any onlooker. The soothing feel of the natural materials beautifully complements the symmetrical form of the houses, with decorative white gypsum and fired brick patterns adding a touch of ethnicity. Facing an increase in population and being the chief economical and political hub of Yemen, the city of Sana’a would highly benefit from a balanced shift towards traditional yet contemporary high-rise apartment buildings. 

A dynamic Mumbai-based architectural firm, Atelier ARBO, was approached by a client to contribute a fresh perspective for the design of a 36-floor residential tower that would portray a uniform blend between the traditional aesthetics of the region and the contemporary, modern outlook of a high rise apartment building in Sana’a, Yemen. For the systematic completion of the client’s brief, a simple and straightforward approach was applied to design a slender tower, so as to contribute to a seamless architectural evolution of the region.

With two apartments on each floor, the floor plate occupies a built-up area of 225 square meters, aligning with the local building regulations regarding the height and plot limit of the region. Each apartment offers a family living area, a kitchen, a spacious guest room, a powder room, a master bedroom with an attached bathroom, and two additional bedrooms with a common bathroom, becoming an ideal abode for a family of about 4 to 6 members. 

A mindful and seamless segregation has been planned between the guest zone and the personal bedrooms of each apartment, to effectively preserve the privacy of the residents when guests visit their house. Every room has large glazed fenestrations that take in fresh wind and natural daylight while also connecting the residents with the natural beauty of the surrounding context. The common lobby between the two apartments on each floor has a staircase block and two elevators for comfortable vertical transportation, and also has a well–planned ventilation shaft that effectively maintains favourable living conditions, in each house, throughout the year.

The city of Sana’a is known for its mid-rise towers scaling up to around 10 floors, some of which are many centuries old. It became essential to consciously use the traditional materials of the region, so as to propose a tower that aesthetically resonates with the surrounding context and also withstands the desert climate of the region. 

The structural strength and integrity of the 36-storied tower is ensured by the use of steel as the primary construction material. Solar reflective tempered glass is used for all the fenestrations and windows of the building, helping in bringing in abundant daylight while keeping the harsh sun rays and desert heat outside. Drawing inspiration from the traditional carvings seen on the window frames of the old towers of Sana’a, a continuous flow of geometric patterns, created by woven brick and concrete, became the iconic facade of the building, dedicated to the rich architectural history of the city. Exemplifying a warm, glowing lantern, the apartment building, with all the internal lights turned on at night, will look like an ethereal sight glorifying the beauty of the city.

Envisioning advanced growth, in terms of residential development, this project became an interesting opportunity to take the architecture of Sana’a to another level where high-rise traditional buildings having a contemporary twist can become a new abode for the citizens of Yemen.