Lebanon

Design collective TheLoveTriangle has designed and completed its off-grid pavilion in Baabdat, Lebanon. The pavilion aims to provide its members with a space for experimentation, exhibitions and art residencies.The designers aimed to create a peaceful space, a gesture that would not compete with the surrounding landscape and would provide a neutral canvas for the artists and exhibitors.therefore, the design of the pavilion was stripped down to a pure and primitive architectural form – a rectangle of 96 sqm (1033 sqft), discreetly nested in a clearing between the pine trees. The structure’s transparent glazing allows for a natural connection with the site.The pavilion sits in a location that was historically used for agricultural p... More

So many layers of history and architectural movements overlap in this house, which architect Raëd Abillama expanded and furnished for his brother’s family. The original building, a traditional single-story house with a central hall and four adjoining rooms, was later expanded with the additions of an upper storey, a loggia, and more. The loggia’s slender columns and pointed arches reveal that Lebanese architecture has been strongly influenced by Italy since the Renaissance. During the civil war, which affected the country from 1975 to 1990, a grenade hit the house and damaged it severely. In 2003, it was fully restored and passed on to its current family of five with a modern addition. The addition is subordinated to the historical s... More

Responding to strong and specific data, our proposal for this project purposefully takes into consideration the cultural heritage in which it is set. Situated at terminus of the Damour River, the site is a gently sloping terrain with stupendous views of the Mediterranean and the river. Our proposal utilizes a radical system that is found in several natural formations: a branching configuration. It seemed like the natural solution to gently break down the site's slope into a series of volumes perfectly oriented to the key sea and river views without obstruction from other buildings. Each "branch" allows direct street access, both pedestrian and vehicular, and soon individual volumes start to emerge following a rigorous strategy of sitting... More

MANOUKIAN HOUSE Published by: SOMA architects More

Nestle Waters Beirut Headquarters: The NestléWaters’offices & warehouse are located on a lot near the Beirut River. It is a project intended to function as a logistical platform for the company; a head office that doubles up as a primary storage and distribution site. The scheme yields to the highly functional aspect of the warehouse by letting the vehicle path and turning radii carve its mass and produce a volume that maximizes size without losing efficiency. The office block acknowledges the importance of uninterrupted flow & sits atop the warehouse cantilevering above the access andcreating a grand gate for the ubiquitous delivery truck. It is composed of three blocks stacked to pay homage to the storage function below. The bui... More

The House of Arts and Culture appears at exactly the right moment to boost the already sizzling creativity of Beirut ever since the end of the period of violence in Lebanon between 1975 and 1990. Beirut never ceased to be a place of freedom of thought. Beirut was home to the first universities of the Middle East and was the birthplace of modern Arabic literature. The sultanate of Oman granted USD 20 million to help funding the House of Arts and Culture. Caption After studying the brief of the competition, it was a surprise not to encounter the word Icon once. The brief talks about a strong presence, a recognisable character, an exceptional architecture …but also about banning words such as: rigidity, routine, or static. The cur... More