ENMAA

BENGHAZI, Libya

2025

Two architectural animations and a suite of renderings to visualize Enmaa’s ambitious twin masterplans in Benghazi, Libya. These visuals bring to life a transformative development spanning the city’s northern Julyana District and southern Qar Younes area, highlighting Benghazi’s urban renewal journey.

Enmaa’s masterplans represent a bold urban vision designed to help transform war-affected Benghazi into a vibrant, modern destination. Conceived with Omni Project Development Consultancy, the project blends contemporary architecture with local context to promote walkability, sustainable living, and community life. More than a typical real estate venture, this development stands as a symbol of resilience and a national statement of progress for Libya’s future, signaling a new chapter for a city rebuilding after conflict.

The 22-hectare Julyana District plan will create a vibrant mixed-use waterfront hub on Benghazi’s northern port lands. A “city-within-a-city” concept, it features signature projects like an 18-storey National Oil Corporation headquarters tower (angled to catch Mediterranean breezes and reduce solar gain) and a 144-room five-star hotel with panoramic views. The district also includes a 120-bed specialized medical center, a 10-floor residential complex, and a 600-meter public promenade along the quay – opening up long-restricted harborfront to citizens with cafés, kiosks, and mangrove-lined gardens. 

In Benghazi’s southern expanse, the Qar Younes area, the masterplan envisions a tranquil low-rise residential enclave where architecture, landscape, and daily life harmoniously converge. The design comprises welcoming villa compounds and mid-rise apartment blocks arranged in a shaded, walkable environment inspired by regional architectural forms. This self-contained community is complemented by intimate neighborhood retail streets, boutique offices, and even a landmark hotel – amenities that provide local vibrancy while preserving a calm, private living atmosphere.

Both the Julyana and Qar Younes prioritize people-centric design, balancing modern aesthetics with Benghazi’s local context and climate. In the Julyana District, for example, integrated mobility hubs – including a water-taxi pier, BRT transit stop, and e-bike stations – plus a vast underground service basement ensure a pedestrian-first public realm free of vehicular traffic at ground level. Across both sites, contemporary buildings are tempered with climate-responsive strategies and local design cues: structures are oriented to prevailing winds for natural cooling, and generous shade and green landscaping make outdoor areas comfortable and inviting. Each project meets high sustainability benchmarks (with plans targeting LEED Gold and similar standards) and incorporates renewable energy and resource-efficient systems. From the waterfront promenades to the quiet residential courtyards, the architecture fosters community interaction and environmental stewardship, ensuring these new districts feel both world-class and authentically Libyan.

Beyond their design, the Enmaa developments are positioned to catalyze significant economic and social benefits for Benghazi. The construction and operation of the Julyana and Sira projects are together projected to inject hundreds of millions of euros into the local economy and create thousands of jobs – roughly €520 million in investment, about 6,000 construction-phase jobs, and 3,400 permanent positions across sectors like healthcare, hospitality, and services. By modernizing port infrastructure and expanding civic amenities, the Julyana District will rekindle maritime trade, adding new berthing capacity and boosting customs revenues) and the new medical center will reduce the need for residents to seek specialized care abroad. Likewise, Qar Younes’s housing and business opportunities aim to attract investment and improve quality of life on the city’s periphery. Together, these twin masterplans signal growing momentum in Benghazi’s reconstruction – each development serving as a pillar of sustainable urban growth and a beacon of hope. Ultimately, the Julyana and Qar Younes projects embody Benghazi’s resilience, standing as a proud symbol of the city’s renewal and a foundation for a brighter urban future in Libya.