Beirut Terraces, Beirut LE
Herzog & de Meuron, 2014
Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron have designed this apartment tower with overhanging floor plates and terraces for Beirut, Lebanon. Created as part of a wider masterplan to regenerate this area of the city that includes a marina, the building comprises five different modular floor slabs used in varying combinations to create a mixture of overhangs and terraces. The building has vegetation on the terraces to provide privacy and in the main entrance space to act as continuation of the neighbouring green boulevard. The 116-metre-high structure is supported by columns on a 14.7 metre regular grid, with each floor plate overhanging the glazing by at least 60 centimetres.
The proposed building concept, structure, and appearance are conceived by both awareness and respect for the city, as well as self-confident optimism that it shares with contemporary Beirut. The project is founded on five principles: layers and terraces, inside and outside, vegetation, views and privacy, light and identity. The result is a vertically layered building expressed by diverse sizes of slabs which create both openness and privacy and enable flexible living between in- and outside. Fine detailing and a focus on the concerted orchestration of decent materials make for an efficient and luxurious building. Conscious of energy use, the environmental engineering coupled with the integration of vegetation into the architecture, enhance the quality of living while also lending to the building’s sustainability.
To guarantee sufficient differentiation of the building volume and maintain a reasonable building ratio, the tower is made from five module floors that repeat in different combinations. The slabs of each floor protrude around their entire circumference by 60 centimetres, easing construction and maintenance of the extensive glass façades. The structure is carried by the core and a regular column-grid that spans up to 14.7 meters. Each quarter of the tower has its own lobby with elevators serving no more than two apartments at a time. For higher efficiency two lobbies share service elevators, MEP risers, and fire escapes.
The mix of apartments of different sizes and types such as simplex, duplex and townhouses with pools are distributed throughout the building to offer a variety of conditions to meet each tenant’s needs and provide each apartment with a unique identity. The apartments generally consist of three areas: a reception, private living spaces, and a service area. The reception opens to a foyer and leads to a grand living room with a spacious area for entertaining, a dining area, and a generous viewing terrace. The private space features a family living room and bedrooms including en-suite bathrooms and walk-in closets. The service area includes a kitchen with storage and laundry room attached and a maid’s bedroom with bathroom. All the main spaces like living rooms and bedrooms consistently provide a generous clear height of 3.4 meters.
Competition: 2009
Project start: 2009
Completion: 2013
Gross floor area: 100,700 m2 (incl. basement + terraces)
Floors: 26 (+1 Plant Level on Roof / +6 Underground)
Units: 131
Client: Benchmark Development SAL, Beirut, Lebanon
Architect: Herzog & de Meuron in collaboration with Khatib & Alami
