Peekaboo

As I was browsing my picture library I found this incredible photo. It’s either an old traditional Yemeni castle or a tower house. Either way, what attracts me to the picture is how it captures the beauty of traditional Yemeni architecture and life. Openings are very limited in traditional Yemeni buildings for climatic and social reasons. Yet wherever they occur there is a great amount of beauty that can be found, whether in the careful and detailed design of a window or the artistic decorations of a door. In this picture the opening is literary an opening, a gap between those magnificent stones that are animated by their different color, texture and size. Yet the human interaction is enough to fill this simple and empty gap with life and captures the attention and admiration of any person passing by.

Note: I think I found the photo in flickr.

Legendary Cities

I never visited Yemen, but every person I know who did said that it is like travelling back in time. Whether you are in Sana'a the capital of the country or other villages perched on top of mountains and steep cliffs, you feel like you are part of a portrait in a page of an old legendary book like One thousand and one nights. The fact that the old city of Sana'a is now on the UNESCO world heritage list is great to assure that the cultural and architecture heritage of this city will be preserved.

The city by day






...and by night




Personal note: Apologies to all the great photographers of Flickr from whom I borrowed their photographs without their knowledge.

The Architecture of Yemen

Here is an exhibition that I intend to go to about my dissertation. I just hope I find the time to go before its finished.

The exhibition explores the contribution made by master builders and inhabitants in the design process and the fabric and environment of Yemeni towns itself, which is increasingly under threat from commercial and corporate urban development.

The exhibition will contain specially commissioned models, original drawings and artwork.

Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
Gallery 1
66 Portland Place
London
W1B

020 7580 5533