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.
