Achrafieh 442

Fact Sheet

  • Project: Achrafieh 442
  • Category: Residential
  • Location: Beirut, Lebanon
  • Client: Kettaneh Construction
  • Built-up area: 10,000 sqm
  • Budget: 8M USD
  • Year: 2010
  • Status: Completed

Credits

  • Partner in Charge: Michel Georr & Ibrahim Berberi
  • Architect in Charge: Aline Chahine
  • Team: Richard Kassab, Jean Pierre Tohme, Joy Traboulsi

Collaborators

  • In collaboration with: Structural Consultant: B.E.T. Rodolphe Mattar | Mechanical Consultant: Ibrahim Mounayar | Electrical Consultant: Gilbert Tambourgi | Control Bureau: Veritas
  • Renders: 109 Architectes
Two streets in Beirut’s Achrafieh neighborhood nearly intersect, but pass in such a way that a void is constructed at their axis.
This collection of three residential blocks, a first prize competition winner, uses the geometry of that space to make a stitch on the fabric of the city. A plaza on the ground floor anchors the blocks, which are then divided into sub-blocks. Two low-rise structures placed at the void’s corners integrate with the city on the scale of the neighborhood. To maximize the depth of the plot, a third building with a higher elevation and expansive views is set back from the street, connecting with the city on a larger scale. Alternating planes form terraces at varying levels to dilute the project’s density. Although regulations allow for a high-density building, this sense of openness is essential in maintaining neighborhood’s identity. The structure takes a lighter shape as its height increases, slowly vanishing into the sky.

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