In designing a building for a site left by civil war destruction, the architects sought to heal the urban fabric by blending their work with its surroundings. Containing offices, a residential penthouse and ground-floor retail, it is clad in sandstone to match its neighbours, and finished with a hand-scratching technique used in early 20th-century Beirut. The deep external skin both acts as a thermal shield and houses mechanical and electrical shafts, enabling the interior to remain column-free. The three-floor atrium and office partitions are designed for easy modification according to future tenants’ needs. Motorised wooden shutters control sun and heat gain, and natural, resistant materials are used throughout the interiors.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
