Yemen Central Bank

Notes

Modern architecture in Yemen developed first in Aden, which was a British colony until 1967. Due to its active port, remarkable buildings were constructed within the vicinity between the 1940s and the 1960s. As for Sanaa, the capital, it began to enjoy in the 1970s a period of prosperity, and received aid to finance public buildings such as the Central Bank of Yemen built by Egyptian architects Mustafa Shawki and Salah Zeitoun. The building is a composition of a vertical edifice housing the offices, and a lower volume wrapping around it to serve for administration, meeting rooms, and a library. Public access happens from under a pilotis into the main hall, a three-story atrium with zenithal light located at the core of the block. Local stone clads the building which is pierced with a rhythm of windows surmounted by an arched stained glass opening referring to the local qamriya. (George Arbid)

Sources

Ibrahim, Abdelbaki, The Arab Architects: Salah Zeitoun. Center for Architecture and Planning Studies. Masr el-Gidida, 1987, pp. 116, 122-123.

Alkokabani, Nadiah, "The Basis of dealing with Heritage in Sana'a City, An Analytical and Critical Vision of the Architectural Changes Panorama 1972-1990", Thamar University Journal of Natural & Applied Science ISSN: 2073-0764- 01 -41 (6)B 2015.

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