PLOT 4371

Plot # 4371 is the first development of its kind in Lebanon. The project aims at providing non-typical working/living lofts for the emerging creative scene in Beirut. It is located in the vicinity of the NBT railway station, the Damascus highway, the National Museum district and the intersection of the major east-west and north-south road networks of the city.

The site consists of a 1,200-square-meter plateau in a district that is in the process of gentrification and urban renewal, attracting alternative programs and activities such as the “Beirut Art Center” which recently opened its doors to the public, as well as new developments that consist of rehabilitating old industrial structures into residential apartments.

Undeveloped government property runs along the western edge of the site and beyond, giving way for unobstructed view corridors across the Palace of Justice complex on the southern orientation and through the Sioufi hills on the north western orientation.

The project is implemented in the center of the site, allowing for relatively generous setbacks from the property limits on all sides. The circular floor slabs are organized around a central octagonal platform, onto which a freight elevator opens, serving all the studios individually and providing direct vehicular access to every loft for the displacement of large scale items such as artwork, musical instruments and collectors cars.

The 360-degree glazed façade allows for full exposure on all orientations, and with clear floor heights of 4.5 to 5.5 meters as well as wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling openings, the spatial quality of the proposed lofts is reminiscent of artist studios from the early modern period.

Despite the radial configuration of the apartments on the floor plates, an orthogonal geometry governs the individual layouts of all the interiors. The seven story building consists of 24 types of apartments with a total of 29 units. The types range from 110-square-meter duplex to 435-square-meter panoramic lofts. Ample vehicular parking is provided at ground floor and below ground, where additional storage spaces are also provided for every studio.