diff --git a/gqn/gqn_encoder.py b/gqn/gqn_encoder.py
index ab58168..9158fe8 100644
--- a/gqn/gqn_encoder.py
+++ b/gqn/gqn_encoder.py
@@ -60,3 +60,72 @@ def pool_encoder(frames: tf.Tensor, poses: tf.Tensor, scope="PoolEncoder"):
     net = tf.reduce_mean(net, axis=[1, 2], keepdims=True)
 
   return net, endpoints
+
+
+def self_attention(layer: tf.Tensor, name: str):
+  """
+  Self-Attention as described in Self-Attention Generative Adversarial Networks by Zhang, Goodfellow, Metaxas, and Odena
+  """
+  m = tf.shape(layer)[0]
+  _, X, Y, C = layer.shape
+  W_f = tf.get_variable(f'W_{name}_f', shape=[C, C], initializer=tf.contrib.layers.xavier_initializer())
+  f = tf.tensordot(layer, W_f, [[-1], [0]])
+  W_g = tf.get_variable(f'W_{name}_g', shape=[C, C], initializer=tf.contrib.layers.xavier_initializer())
+  g = tf.tensordot(layer, W_g, [[-1], [0]])
+  W_h = tf.get_variable(f'W_{name}_h', shape=[C, C], initializer=tf.contrib.layers.xavier_initializer())
+  h = tf.tensordot(layer, W_h, [[-1], [0]])
+  f = tf.reshape(f, shape=[-1, X * Y * C])
+  g = tf.reshape(g, shape=[-1, X * Y * C])
+  s = tf.matmul(f, g, transpose_b=True)
+  s = tf.reshape(s, shape=[-1, X * Y * C, X * Y * C])
+  s = tf.nn.softmax(s, -1)
+  o = tf.tensordot(s, tf.reshape(h, [-1, X*Y*C]), [[2], [1]])
+  o = tf.reshape(h, [-1, X, Y, C])
+  gamma = tf.get_variable(f'gamma_{name}', shape=[1, X, Y, C], initializer=tf.zeros_initializer())
+  return gamma * o + layer
+
+
+def sa_encoder(frames: tf.Tensor, poses: tf.Tensor, scope="SAEncoder"):
+  """
+  Feed-forward convolutional architecture with self-attention (modified from tower+pool to add self-attention.)
+  """
+  with tf.variable_scope(scope):
+    endpoints = {}
+    net = tf.layers.conv2d(frames, filters=256, kernel_size=2, strides=2,
+                           padding="VALID", activation=tf.nn.relu)
+    net = self_attention(net, "l1")
+    skip1 = tf.layers.conv2d(net, filters=128, kernel_size=1, strides=1,
+                             padding="SAME", activation=None)
+    net = tf.layers.conv2d(net, filters=128, kernel_size=3, strides=1,
+                           padding="SAME", activation=tf.nn.relu)
+    net = net + skip1
+    net = self_attention(net, "l2")
+    net = tf.layers.conv2d(net, filters=256, kernel_size=2, strides=2,
+                           padding="VALID", activation=tf.nn.relu)
+    net = self_attention(net, "l3")
+
+    # tile the poses to match the embedding shape
+    height, width = tf.shape(net)[1], tf.shape(net)[2]
+    poses = broadcast_pose(poses, height, width)
+
+    # concatenate the poses with the embedding
+    net = tf.concat([net, poses], axis=3)
+
+    skip2 = tf.layers.conv2d(net, filters=128, kernel_size=1, strides=1,
+                             padding="SAME", activation=None)
+    net = tf.layers.conv2d(net, filters=128, kernel_size=3, strides=1,
+                           padding="SAME", activation=tf.nn.relu)
+    net = net + skip2
+    net = self_attention(net, "l4")
+
+    net = tf.layers.conv2d(net, filters=256, kernel_size=3, strides=1,
+                           padding="SAME", activation=tf.nn.relu)
+    net = self_attention(net, "l5")
+
+    net = tf.layers.conv2d(net, filters=256, kernel_size=1, strides=1,
+                           padding="SAME", activation=tf.nn.relu)
+    net = self_attention(net, "l6")
+
+    net = tf.reduce_mean(net, axis=[1, 2], keepdims=True)
+
+  return net, endpoints
diff --git a/gqn/gqn_graph.py b/gqn/gqn_graph.py
index 8cdcd31..3865753 100644
--- a/gqn/gqn_graph.py
+++ b/gqn/gqn_graph.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import tensorflow as tf
 
 from .gqn_params import GQNConfig
-from .gqn_encoder import tower_encoder, pool_encoder
+from .gqn_encoder import tower_encoder, pool_encoder, sa_encoder
 from .gqn_draw import inference_rnn, generator_rnn
 from .gqn_utils import broadcast_encoding, compute_eta_and_sample_z
 from .gqn_vae import vae_tower_decoder
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 _ENC_FUNCTIONS = {  # switch for different encoding functions
     'pool' : pool_encoder,
     'tower' : tower_encoder,
+    'sa' : sa_encoder,
 }
 
 
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ def gqn_draw(
     endpoints.update(endpoints_enc)
 
     # broadcast scene representation to 1/4 of targeted frame size
-    if enc_type == 'pool':
+    if enc_type == 'pool' or enc_type == 'sa':
       enc_r_broadcast = broadcast_encoding(
           vector=enc_r, height=dim_h_enc, width=dim_w_enc)
     else:
diff --git a/train_gqn.py b/train_gqn.py
index 8022961..f9dead8 100644
--- a/train_gqn.py
+++ b/train_gqn.py
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@
 ARGPARSER.add_argument(
     '--img_size', type=int, default=64,
     help='Height and width of the squared input images.')
+ARGPARSER.add_argument(
+    '--enc_type', type=str, default='pool',
+    help='The encoding architecture type.')
 # solver parameters
 ARGPARSER.add_argument(
     '--adam_lr_alpha', type=float, default=5*10e-5,
@@ -152,6 +155,7 @@ def main(unparsed_argv):
         'IMG_WIDTH' : ARGS.img_size,
         'CONTEXT_SIZE' : ARGS.context_size,
         'SEQ_LENGTH' : ARGS.seq_length,
+        'ENC_TYPE' : ARGS.enc_type,
         'ENC_HEIGHT' : ARGS.img_size // 4,  # must be 1/4 of target frame height
         'ENC_WIDTH' : ARGS.img_size // 4,  # must be 1/4 of target frame width
         'ADAM_LR_ALPHA' : ARGS.adam_lr_alpha,