OPAD / Office for Planning Architecture Design

Blastopolis (1/2)

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artkill_0025 Blastopolis [1/2] The explosion aftereffect produces the sense of a "Fun P(a)lace". The scattered / distorted super meccano pieces wait to be reassembled by the amnesiacs. They will recompose the landscape and erase by themselves what remains of the painful memory. #beirutblast #beirutblastart #blastopolisi #beirutexplosion #beirutexplosionsketches #beirut

#2023

in

NYC

Lot #192 located in Qatteen, a village 600m above sea level north of Greater Beirut, is part of a picturesque rural fabric, rich in natural and architectural heritage. It overlooks a valley marked by the monolithic architecture of a 19th century convent, located 200 meters to the south-east, and backs onto a very dense forest belonging to a religious congregation and which will hopefully remain protected on the very long term. In this steep lot, the traces of the past are manifested by the vernacular architecture of a 3*13m barrel vault dating back to the 18th century. The lower part of the plot is dominated by a massive and impressive geological rocky formation. The attention brought to each of the mentioned layers will lead to designing a house composed of two pavilions articulated around a glass-roof atrium. The top of the vault becomes a welcome garden, extended by an elevated walkway to the main entrance. A courtyard on an intermediate level connects the rooms to the multi-functional vault. The cantilevered rock frames a second troglodytic access on the lower side.

REMI WINEHOUSE

Lot #4311 runs east-west and slides in a northwest direction towards beautiful, formerly agricultural terraces that join the Qannoubine Valley in the background. To the north, the open fields reach the village of Qnaiouer, about 1 km away. To the east, the majestic natural rocky amphitheater surrounds what remains of the Cedar Forest. The project’s design will reflect the owner's recent winemaking activity and thus associate his house with the winery below. The main space of the house is designed as a wine tasting hall with the bedrooms suspended above. Two staircases lead separately to the master bedroom on the one hand, and to the guests’ bedrooms on the other. The roof supports a garden that is partly private for the rooms and partly shared. A cantilevered pool covers the main entrance and accentuates the brutalist character of the architecture. A separate rental accommodation unit is located away from the main house and has its own direct access.

TURTLE HOUSE

The steeply sloping plot of 600m² is located ten minutes from the ski resort "Mzaar" in the Kfarzebyan region, at 1700 m altitude, where weather conditions have to be seriously considered. The main idea of the design is about a compact shell that encloses an elevated box, resting on the load-bearing walls of the central staircase, and housing the bedrooms. Suggesting a "turtle's head", part of the box extends outward, pointing to the larger landscape. In winter under the snow, the light ash-gray carapace tends to fade away, highlighting the warm colors of the interior. The detachment between the shell and the internal structure leaves a peripheral cavity allowing for continuous air circulation between the floors. The openings in the sloping facets of the shell illuminate the attic space, heating it naturally in winter and cooling the house in summer through natural warm air evacuation .

Soft connections and untold stories. Ephemeral situations that must feed imagination for future projects.

Our Contribution in the discussions around “The Action Plan for the Reconstruction of Damaged Heritage Buildings in Beirut”, held at the premises yesterday 24-11-2022, focused on issues such , , and rehabilitation. We also shared our views about the Transfer of Development Rights, its reasons and implications. Many thanks for UNESCO, its Representatives and all contributors, namely Eric Huybrechts, Habib Debs and Guillaume Boudisseau for their efforts and valuable inputs.

Damaged grain silos in a wheat field at night. Hundreds of high sharp posts for impalement. Harbor and cranes in the background.