Al Sawaber Housing Complex

STARTING POINT

Imam Al Ja’far As-Saddiq Mosque (29.374627, 47.980055)

Located in Block 6, Sharq District Kuwait City.

Types: Residential Build in by 1981 by Arthur Erickson Postal code 15300 Status: Currently facing demolition

Each layers of floors protudes to provide shading for the internal central horizontal circulation.

The central circulation between the apartment blocks act as intimate spaces sheltered from the rest of Kuwait City.

Minoprio, Spenceley and MacFarlane development plan (courtesy the Kuwait Municipality Archives). Â

Entrance leads straight to the elevator.

Air and light access to the parking basement.

A COLLECTION: Apartment entrance

One of the many examples of vertical circulation

Colonnaded base structure to control downward wind flows to provide shading and breezy walkways.

Islands of shading spots as communal spaces.

Each cluster have seatings for users to face each other.

Backside view of the apartment

Window at the side of the building.

One of the many entrances to the backyard

Each layers of floors protudes to provide shading for the internal central horizontal circulation.

Applying setbacks for each floors to cast less shadows on the streets.

An empty water fountain

A seating cluster is meant to include a water fountain.

Some signs of life: a lady is feeding a colony of strays.

POST-WAR MODERN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY

Going downwards meant leaving the premises and into the streets of Kuwait City.