Architecture and Identity

European Quarter in Sana’a, Yemen

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During the winter term 09/10 PAR, an urban design institute at the TU Darmstadt, is offering an urban design studio in Sana’a. The main topic is about ‘architecture and identity‘, since it is an exchange program with the University of Sana’a. The Yemeni students will design the Yemen embassy in Berlin, Germany; while the students of the TU Darmstadt will work out an urban design for a European quarter in Sana’a.

a „european quarter in sana' a“ includes the complex of the german embassy. the complex covers the german embassy with chancery, legal and consular department and residence as well as the locations of the german institutions of development cooperation, like gtz, ded, kfw, etc. and the cultural and educational policy, like daad, the german house, fes should find place on the area. the embassy and the german institutions in sana'a formulated programs of desire. additionally to the operation of the institutions there are housing possibilities concept-dependently to be planned. apart from the culturally adequate integration of the representative clusters of buildings and the high safety requirements of an embassy the different use requirements and the local determinants represent a challenge for the designers. the high traffic volume created by offical meetings is particularly noteworthy. the lasting planning of the general complex and the individual components should be appropriate and exemplary, using energy-efficient techniques for yemen in a modelful way.

locations of the three areas

3 planning areas are available: 1) the area “berlin garden” (souk noukum) 15˚21´25.77˝n / 44˚13´42.34˝e, 2) “jebel speyrer”, 15˚17´17.60˝n / 44˚11´32.80˝e in hadda and 3) not used properties and ruins in the old city of sana’a. the students will develop independent, visionary and courageous concepts, which captivate by their simplicity. the intercultural dialogue is promoted by a common iinternet platform, workshops and excursions to yemen and germany. in the context of short drafts within the workshops, the tasks of drafts are to be exchanged. with the view of the other the yemeni partners work on the „european quarter“, german partners work on the project „yemen embassy in berlin“. the binational design results will be presented to the public in exhibitions in sana’a, darmstadt and berlin and should give cause and suggestions to the regional architecture discourse. At all time you can follow the process here at the website.

please contribute your ideas and feelings at any time. there is a comment feature at the bottom of each post.

Besides the design studios a catalogue of the two cultures – the European and the Yemen one – will be produced by the students of TU Darmstadt.

Explore Sana’a on wikimapia to get a better idea of the set-up.