Le Joyau du Liban

KU Leuven - International Master of Architecture - Campus Sint-Lucas Ghent

Project idea

A year has passed since the horrific Beirut blasts, Lebanon has become a living nightmare of surreal proportions.

With recent economic recessions, lack of international funding & aid, political turmoil, sanctions and a pandemic crisis, Beirut is at the very heart of grave danger to losing its status as a city of cultural and art importance.

With thousands of artists migrating out of Lebanon in search of a better life, this study concentrates on a few key points that would lead to a hub that will re-welcome artists and lovers of culture.

Le Joyau du Liban Dance Academy & Cultural Centre envisions itself as a beacon of hope in a land of turmoil. A safeguard of free-thought and exchanges of art & cultural matters.

The institute’s vision to re-organise the disenfranchised artists, dancers of the middle east to return and re-establish Beirut as the cultural capital of the region.

Project description

Internal Programme Arrangement

Private programmes such as the studios, auditorium and banquet hall are placed on the highest floor, to also reflect the nature of subprogrammes found in a souq’s alleys and intertwining backroads. Public programmes such as the main souq-style shops and public exhibition spaces are place within the inner courtyard and also the outer lining.

Intimacy of Private and Public Spaces

The first floor acts as a buffer zone, filled with intimate mixing of both private, public and semi private programmes. This creates an ever-changing pace of environment as a user perambulates, similarly in the environment of a souq’s neutral zone, filled with rest areas, craftsmen and traders and lodges.

The art markets below also reflect the nature of souqs, through its linear planning along the main accessway, it creates a fluid intimacy between the shops to create the chaotic emotions found at a centre of traders.

The Ryadh

An inside-outside space that allows natural lighting and climatic exposure for its users, to mimic the atmosphere of domesticated lighting of a traditional souq. A similar environment can be found when one strolls into the intimates pockets of a souq and is then immediately immersed into a roof-less large open space.

Glass Atrium

The glass atrium is specified as the main space where most of the programmes meet. This space includes a grand glass dome that hovers ontop of the internal space. Thus, creating overlooking rays that shine on its users, creating warmth and high amounts of daylighting during winter.

Ballet Dancer’s Gallery

The ballet dancer’s gallery is essentially a twisting vortex that follows the earlier concept of the dancer’s revolution. A space which follows the twists and turns of its users, mimicking the eloquent dance movements and the chaoticness captured by the drastic warp. The gracefulness of the movements are then captured with the openings on the outer and inner skins, which creates the atmosphere of grazing daylight on the dancers.

The Cloud Theatre Frame

The separation of private and public spaces. The cloud theatre is a mesh
within a mesh. A cocoon that inhabits within a very public-centric space,
but provides suitable conditions to hold private programmes.

Technical information

Skeleton & Inner Skin

The main structure consists of a metal space frame that acts as the shell of the building. It is then covered by a secondary skin layer, wrapped with another variety Mashrabiyya pattern.

Outer Skin

The outer perimeter which provides daylight shading & insulation, wrapped with Lebanese Mashrabiyya patterns.

Vortex Triangulation

The footing of the ‘floating mesh’ is covered with glass and steel triangulated panels, that provide full lighting to highlight it as a gathering point or access point.

Waffle Structure

The underground space mimics the hills behind Beirut, thus requires a waffle-like structure to give its organic-shaped roof. The columns holding the waffle structure and ETFE Membrane panels that allows more sunlight to be reflected in.

Glass Atrium

The glass atrium showcases low-e glazing panels that are held within the triangulated steel panels. These components give shape to the dome that accentuates the grandiosity of the space.

The Cloud Theatre Frame and Outer Space Frame

A wrapping-like steel structure wraps around the theater and is anchored to the space frame and floor slab. The metal space frame wraps itself around the post-tension reinforced concrete that acts as the load-bearer.