Al Sawaber Complex

An enormous futuristic-looking apartment complex, Al-Sawaber, built in 1981, is a derivative (by others) of a 1977 design proposal by Arthur Erickson. The Kuwaiti state commissioned the project to provide Kuwaiti families with housing in the heart of the city. The built form provides easy horizontal circulation between the apartment blocks, and the placement of the buildings creates intimate spaces sheltered from the rest of the city.  In recent years a lack of maintenance, arson in some of the units, escalating land values in the surrounding area, and gentrification have rendered Al Sawaber vulnerable to demolition.

Submitted by Asseel Al-Ragam and Yousef Abdulaal