Echoes of the Past: Reviving a Community After the War

Project idea

يستمد هذا المشروع فكرته من مبدأ أن المكان ليس مجرد كيان مادي، بل هو كيان عاطفي أيضاً—حاملٌ للذاكرة والنضال والهوية. سوق الجحملية، الذي كان يمثّل قلب مدينة تعز في اليمن، يحمل جذوراً تاريخية واقتصادية عميقة، غير أنه يقف اليوم مثخناً بجراح الحرب. يُعيد المقترح تصوُّر شارع السوق بوصفه فضاءً للانتماء—فضاءً يُعيد ربط الناس ببعضهم، ويستعيد الذاكرة الجماعية، ويوفر محوراً قابلاً للمشي وشاملاً للجميع، يدعم الثقافة والصمود والحياة اليومية. من خلال تصميم يحترم الماضي ويستشرف مستقبلاً مستداماً، يهدف المشروع إلى إحياء مكانٍ ما، بل وإحياء روح مجتمعٍ جريح.

Project description

Project Description The project focuses on the revitalization of Souq Al-Jahmaliya, located in the heart of Taiz, Yemen. This area, once a vibrant commercial and political hub, was left in ruins due to the devastating impact of war. Al-Jahmaliya was selected not only for the severe destruction it endured but also for its unique historical, geographical, and economic significance. Positioned on the slopes of Mount Saber, the district historically served as the administrative center for whoever ruled the city due to its strategic location. The proposal centers on Souq Street, which lies at the core of Al-Jahmaliya and intersects three residential neighborhoods. The street is transformed into a pedestrian-only zone to promote sustainability, enhance user comfort, and support street life. Elements from each surrounding neighborhood were thoughtfully integrated into the design to enrich the urban experience and reconnect the area’s social fabric. The market was divided into four distinctive zones, each offering a unique spatial and functional identity: Zone 1 is characterized by its use of arcades—an architectural element rooted in Islamic tradition. These arcades not only provide shade but also evoke a historical spatial rhythm that connects users to the region’s cultural memory. Zone 2 retains its historical function as a hub for restaurants and cafés. These establishments existed before the war, and preserving their functions was a deliberate decision to safeguard community memory while upgrading the facades and enhancing their visibility. Zone 3 introduces a modern indoor shopping mall, providing an enclosed alternative to the open market. This addition strengthens economic recovery and tourism while responding to users’ diverse preferences. Zone 4 features commercial complexes commonly found in Taiz. Their inclusion reinforces the urban identity of the city and reflects existing local commercial patterns. The project unfolds as an urban healing journey across Souq Al-Jahmaliya. Each zone is not merely a functional space, but a narrative layer in the process of remembering, rebuilding, and reconnecting. The pedestrian spine—once a war-torn market street—has been reimagined as a civic axis that weaves together the rhythms of daily life, the echoes of memory, and the aspirations of a resilient community. Walking through the four zones becomes a spatial experience of restoration. The shaded arcades, familiar restaurants, the new mall, and the local complexes together create a hybrid urban condition—deeply rooted in place yet oriented toward the future. Rather than building anew, the project seeks to reconstruct belonging—through scale, materials, movement, and memory. What was once fragmented by war is here reassembled, not as a copy of the past, but as a future shaped by it. The design respects the original scale of the area by preserving building heights between one to three floors, with limited taller structures (4+ floors) placed strategically as urban landmarks. Sustainable strategies were also implemented, including green roofs, recycled rubble from the destruction, public green spaces, and shaded walkways to improve microclimate and user well-being. Ultimately, the project aims not only to rebuild what was lost, but to revive a community, reconnect life to the street, and transform a war-torn site into a resilient, inclusive, and culturally grounded public space.

Technical information

يسترشد المشروع بمبادئ تصميمية أساسية تشمل ضمان سهولة الوصول، والترابط السلس، والتنمية المستدامة على مر الزمن، وقابلية تكيّف الفراغات، وفوق كل ذلك، إحساس قوي بالهوية والتمثيل. وقد جرى إيلاء الأولوية للاختيار الدقيق للمواد المحلية وأساليب البناء الصديقة للبيئة لتعزيز الاستدامة. كما خضع الموقع لتحليل دقيق من حيث التضاريس، وحركة التنقل، وأنماط المباني، والقيمة التاريخية، ومستويات الدمار الناجم عن الحرب. وقد تم الحفاظ على ارتفاعات المباني القائمة—التي تتراوح في معظمها بين طابق وثلاثة طوابق—مع إضافات محدودة لمبانٍ من أربعة طوابق فأكثر، وُضعت بشكل استراتيجي لتعزيز الأفق العمراني. وأخيراً، يهدف المشروع إلى توفير بيئة سهلة الاستخدام تحترم السياق الثقافي والتاريخي للمنطقة.