CLIENT /

LOT AREA /

BUILT-UP AREA /

 

AWARDS /

FIRST PRIZE WINNER - 'CARLTON OPEN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN COMPETITION' - 2008

International Competition launched in February 2008, promoted by Jamil Ibrahim Establishment (JIE), and managed by the Lebanese Order of Engineers and Architects - Beirut, Lebanon

 

CHALLENGE /

In the current boom of real estate development paralleled with an ingenious architectural evolution in the region, we present our project in the light of Lebanon maintaining its respected status in the design community and construction industry. The site has previously embraced one of Beirut’s memorable landmarks, the Carlton Hotel, an icon deeply characterized by its era. Our design builds on this notion of iconography to produce a building that would redefine Beirut’s modern skyline and present itself as a new landmark in high-end residential typology.

 

CONCEPT /

The site played an influential role in the design process; the building takes on an elliptical form to maximize its frontage with the main sea view while each floor rotates by one degree along the center of the circulation core, the ground floor being continuous with General De Gaulle Avenue and the roof floor orthogonally directed towards Ramlet El Baida. A ‘green’ slit is introduced every five floors to compensate for the ever decreasing green spaces in the dense urban fabric of the city, thus creating separate blocks of ten apartments each. These are then shifted and alternated to provide for hanging gardens and to insure privacy among apartments. The blocks are engulfed in a structural shell that holds a light secondary skin, working in parallel with the gardens as a sun-breaker and heat reducer on the southern façade, and as a visual screen against neighbouring buildings on the northern façade.

With a total built-up area of 29,900 m², the building holds 50 apartments of 550 m² each with two different planning layouts, supported by high-end living services including gym areas on the mezzanine floor, a swimming pool on the first floor and a multipurpose hall on the roof with a breath-taking view from Beirut.

 

SHARE /