B018 is a music club, a place of nocturnal survival.
In the early months of 1998, the B018 moved to the “Quarantaine”, on a site that was better known for its macabre aura. The “Quarantaine” is located at the proximity of the port of Beirut. During the French protectorate, it was a place of quarantine for arriving crews. In the recent war it became the abode of Palestinian, Kurdish and South Lebanese refugees (20,000 in 1975). In January 1976, local militia men launched a radical attack that completely wiped out the area. The slums were demolished along with the kilometer long bordering wall that isolated the zone from the city. Over twenty years later, the scars of war are still perceptible through the disparity between the scarce urban fabric of the area and the densely populated neighborhoods located across the highway that borders the zone.
The concept consisted in lifting key contextual elements – traditional building material and Lebanese gardens –and revives them with contemporary interpretations. So conventional wood and dark stone found an unexpected contrast in vivid red metal, and space-efficient vertical gardens replaced their horizontal predecessors. These elements complement the diversity of the surrounding context. While it looks like a simple geometric shape from afar, the structure consists of three parallel elongated blocks each with a unique identity that’s revealed on approach, while a cantilevered section that extends out towards the street emphasizes the building’s partly public function, a contemporary art gallery that occupies the ground floor to introduce a cultural and commercial element to the project.
Snøhetta has won the competition to design the new Banque Libano Francaise (BLF) headquarters. Located in Beirut, the project marks Snøhetta’s first ever commission in Lebanon.
“We are delighted to enter into this creative partnership with the BLF. In a time of profound change and transformation, the BLF is an ideal partner for Snøhetta with our shared ideals of sustainability, community, and dialogue.”, says Snøhetta founding partner Kjetil T. Thorsen.
A new landmark in Beirut: a powerful identity based on open interaction between cultures and between modernity and tradition.
Holcom H.Q. is a wonderful success story of brilliant, youthful Italian enterprise abroad. A tale of Italian design of the utmost excellence hinging around a major project in a particularly interesting location. The building is a pulsating architectural system bringing together people, processes, a mission, values and dreams in a highly distinctive and representative place, all meticulously designed in every detail, functional and beautiful to live in. The Holcom offices project has once again made Lombardini22 one of the finalists in the MIPIM awards scheduled to take place in Cannes from 15th-18th March 2016. First created in 1991, the MIPIM Awards are a prestigious competition held at the internationally renowned MIPIM real estate exhibition.
Situated at the southern end of Shoreline Walk, Zeytouneh Square is one of a series of connected public spaces created as part of Beirut’s re-emergence from the 1975‒1990 Civil War. Research into each space revealed remnants of the character of the pre-war city that had been forgotten or destroyed. These remnants provided the inspiration for the four diverse spaces, each of which reveals elements of memory from the past.
Located in the mountains overlooking Beirut, Manoukian house responds to the severally sloping nature of the site as well as the surrounding mountains. The linear site orients south toward the views, and as such, the house is organized in an extremely linear nature.
The three volumes of the mixed use compound are situated in Sin el Fil, Lebanon, near an important junction of highways and major roadways to the East of Beirut. The site also provides panoramic views toward the center of Beirut to the East and to the mountains to the West. In order to take advantage of this unique location, and the panoramic views, the project is conceived as three volumes arrayed about a central focal point in the center of the site. Each volume is in turn chamfered toward the outside, creating terraces toward their respective views, while on the ground floor, the buildings chamfer in, creating impressive cantilevers and freeing up large areas of outdoor space. The building directly along the highway serves as an office tower with a large retail base extending along the highway, while the other two buildings provide apartments. This positioning creates three basic outdoor spaces: one for a public drop odd, one for a private drop off, and a third used as a playground and collective garden space.
The Nestlé Waters’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 and creating a grand gate for the ubiquitous delivery truck.
The concept behind the main headquarters of this luxury soap brand revolves around the actual soap bar. Inspired by the intricate packaging of the company’s soaps, the structure was first conceived as a box, sliced in half. Around the two distinct structures, a garden alive with greenery and a variety of aromas that linger and welcome visitors, reminiscent of the variety of soap scents. The first structure, where the company’s manufacturing plant is located, is covered by a woven metal wire mesh on top of a wall covered with the brand’s soap patterns. The second structure, which hosts the company’s offices, benefits from wide openings, protected from the sun thanks to sliding aluminum louvers that bring privacy to employees.
Mar Mikael is rife in the rare kind of qualities that could create a promising neighborhood. The neighborhood is situated on the outskirts of downtown and close to the highway making Mar Mikael easily accessible. Several new projects sprouting up in the area have led to gentrification of the Mar Mikael district, but have also delivered a fresh plate for architects to create new architecture for Beirut.
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