HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Middle East & Africa


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #1  
Old Posted Jan 30, 2008, 4:44 AM
mustang84 mustang84 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 195
My corniche architecture project for Beirut

Hello everyone,

I am an architecture student from Iowa State University in the United States and our professor was born and raised in Beirut, so he knows the city well. Our site for the project is the Corniche from between the American University beach and the plaza where Rue Graham meets. The project is to study the corniche and design a promenade that factors in all the different social groups that use this area. I know they are currently updating the corniche with new railing, paving, etc, but our project will not take the current updates into account.

This is supposed to be a project where we take societal factors into consideration, such as the type of people that will use the site and how the design language expresses some social aspect of Beirut or Lebanon.

For the concept of my project, I studied the history of Beirut and how rule over the area has changed hands many times over the last 5,000 years, from the Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, etc. The key to this project is that it does not exclude anyone from using the corniche; that all income levels, ethnic groups, and nationalities feel welcome.

So I started thinking of how to represent these periods of turmoil and peace through form, and came up with a series of intersection spaces where people will come together and face each other as they pass through. The forms are deconstructed to represent these periods of turmoil. A book I was reading on Beirut talked about buildings that were bombed and how exposed "stairs that lead to nowhere" can be seen in these neighborhoods that were affected the most. I incorporated this idea into the design to represent this while also allowing discovery (see picture)...people may sit on the steps or climb them to see beyond toward the sea.

In the "periods of peace" part of the project, you have long stretches of space that would cater to different functions, such as space for carts and vendors, a raise platform for watching the sea and more intimate space, ramps that lead down closer to the sea for people who want to fish or swim, and a series of plazas where large gatherings can happen.

This is just the first part of the project and things will change, but I thought I would show some pictures and see if anyone had comments. Keep in mind that this is from the perspective of an American student who has never been to Beirut, so maybe you guys who live there / have been there can offer some insight or other ideas. Any comments or criticisms are welcome!

Early sketch showing plan with series of these spaces


The "turmoil" area where people pass through at meet face-to-face...the transition from the more segregated functions to the open plaza (left)


View showing the deconstructed stairs and people passing through


In-progress image showing benches and forms that let people sit and people-watch or pass through from the ramps / seating areas


Idea for a path down closer to the sea where people can fish or just rest and relax by the water, also excavating some of the natural rock that the corniche was built over


Site model of the corniche

Reply With Quote
     
     
  #2  
Old Posted Jan 30, 2008, 7:52 PM
Dac150's Avatar
Dac150 Dac150 is offline
World Machine
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: NY/CT
Posts: 6,749
I like how it appears integrated with the landscape, but the slabs to me seem too dark and un-inviting for a waterfront promonade. The slab concept is something I would see in a corporate plaza, but not in this setting. I also don't think they'd be used by the public as you show them in examples. I cannot picture adults climbing all over them as you have them shown.

If you are familiar with the Javits Plaza, then perhaps you'll understand what I mean. The Javits Plaza is an open public plaza next to the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. There are stone structures that make up the plaza that remind me of these slabs in your design. The Javits Plaza is very un-inviting and virtually not used by the public.

Given the utlilization of the stone was not carried out by the public as was intended by the architect, the Javits Plaza has in a sense become vacant and unused.

That is my take on that aspect of the project. Perhaps if you use a lighter color for the slabs, such as a blue ans white shade to match the area, then your intention for public use can work.
__________________
"I'm going there, but I like it here wherever it is.."
Reply With Quote
     
     
End
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Middle East & Africa
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 8:44 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.