(1991) International Bank of Yemen
client : Bank of Yementypology : Commercial
services : Architecture
where : Sanaa, Yemen
Retrospective 1991-2000 video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPyTSojDdNX/
Schematic Design – Sana’a, Yemen | GFA: 30,000 sqm
Strategically located along a major thoroughfare in the heart of Sana’a, this 30,000 square meter headquarters was designed to house the main offices of the International Bank of Yemen. The bank’s operational core occupies the first basement, ground, and mezzanine levels, accommodating its principal branch and client-facing functions. Eight upper floors—including a penthouse level reserved for high-level meetings, events, and institutional gatherings—are dedicated to internal banking operations. The remaining eight floors are configured as premium-grade leasable office space.
Architecturally, the project seeks to merge contemporary functionality with a powerful visual identity rooted in Yemeni tradition. The design draws inspiration from the vernacular of Sana’a’s historic urban fabric, where architecture is distinguished by its layered massing, pronounced volumetric interplay, and the poetic irregularity of fenestration over largely opaque surfaces.
In this reinterpretation, volumes push and pull, step in and out, and interlock with deliberate asymmetry—creating a dynamic formal composition. Select facades are rendered in fully glazed curtain walls, while others are clad in solid, warm-toned materials, echoing the tactile richness of local construction. Scattered window placements add a sense of rhythm and contrast to blank surfaces, in keeping with regional architectural patterns.
Each vertical mass terminates independently, resulting in a jagged, expressive skyline. These varied terminations are crowned with ornamental detailing—a modern homage to traditional Yemeni decorative motifs. Anchoring the entire composition is a pair of monumental arched entrances: bold, unadorned, and deeply recessive, they establish a sense of gravitas and ceremonial presence appropriate to a national financial institution.
This schematic proposal articulates a modern architectural statement that resonates with place, memory, and institutional strength—while offering flexibility, clarity, and enduring civic stature.