05 M O M E N T U M O F P L A C E, P E O P L E I N M O T I O N : C I T Y I N S C E N ES * S O LIDE R E A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 1 * Realizing innovative real estate projects Real Estate Developments Solidere pursues its strategy in realizing innovative real estate projects that have economic viability, environmental sustainability, and community significance. In 2011, several projects by renowned local and international architects were at different stages of design and construction. 113
Zaitunay Bay Design by Steven Holl Architects US A year-round haven of leisure, social, and cultural activities has emerged alongside the city center s Hotel District. Zaitunay Bay was conceived as an urban beach that extends the existing seafront Corniche promenades by a series of overlapping platforms, reminiscent of sea waves, providing outdoor spaces and public areas. The lapping waves of the sea inspired the architects to produce striated spaces in horizontal layers, a nod to the site s deep-rooted history as a beach. The much anticipated Solidere initiative, imagined as a premier waterfront destination, launched its quayside restaurant strip at the end of 2011. Serviced by valet parking and a car park underneath the Corniche Road, and also accessible through seven pedestrian points from the Corniche Road, Zaitunay Bay received over 3,000 visitors per day in the first six months since its launching. Beirut Waterfront Development, which manages the project, had commissioned French restaurant consultant Ulysses to conduct a market study to select an optimal type and size mix for the tenants. The resulting rich culinary scene consists of 17 restaurants and cafes right by the water, offering a new entertainment scene and creating a number of employment opportunities. Retail outlets, a water sport center, and an art workshop complement the food experience and turn the promenade into a family-friendly place. At the north end of the quay, the Yacht Club with its 14,000 sq m of floor space is taking shape to accommodate a club for up to 400 members with swimming pool, restaurant, bar, e-library, games room and spa center on upper ground level, and 53 serviced and furnished state-of-the-art apartments on upper levels. The structure seems to emerge naturally out of the land and transcends the boundary between city and sea. The project reifies the richness of the urban shoreline. With Nabil Gholam Architects (Lebanon) Landscape Design by Vladimir Djurovic Landscape Architecture (Lebanon) Landscape Detailing and Supervision by CBA Group (Lebanon) Owner: Beirut Waterfront Development s.a.l.: a 50/50 joint venture between Solidere and Stow Mina El Hosn/Lot 1455/1456 Mixed-use/BUA 20,000 sq m Quayside Restaurant Strip/ Completed Yacht Club/Under Construction W A T E R F R O N T D I S T R I C T Photograph by Mosbah Assi 115
ZAITUNAY BAY Photograph by Ziyah Gafic 117
Pinwheel Project Design by Renzo Piano Building Workshop Italy Perceived by the architect as a gateway from the old city, or the old world, to the Waterfront District, the new continent, the project creates a sense of continuity and urban unity. It is a key development that balances four key dualistic concepts: unity and diversity, permeability and privacy, transparency and opacity, construction and vegetation. The first phase of development on the western lot will hold a number of buildings of podium height and consist of residential, office, and retail components. The podiums include an active ground floor level designed to be permeable and accessible to the public; they also feature several multi-use levels and rooftop suspended gardens. The retail frontages of various heights are adorned with light, transparent canopies. Trees are essential as unifying elements that help unite the old world and the new continent throughout the Pinwheel Project. The presence of water, another unifying element, gives the impression of the sea penetrating into the city and provides for a cooling effect in summer. W A T E R F R O N T D I S T R I C T Renzo Piano Building Workshop The rooftop suspended gardens, accessed by panoramic elevators, include both native and Mediterranean plants, with a mix of deciduous and evergreens to maintain a green cover during the seasonal changes. Also at this level, light constructions made of steel, glass, and fabric are used for cafes and restaurants. Light structural walkways connect the different plots together to create a continuous promenade. With Fouad Menem Consultants and Partners (Lebanon) Marfaa/Lots 1498/1509/1510 Mixed-use/First Phase/BUA 45,000 sq m Under Design 119
Furnished Serviced Apartments, Spa, and Wellness Center Design by Peter Marino Architects US The development is located on Patriarch Hoyek Street, the principal vehicular artery from the Traditional City Center to the Waterfront District and the last segment within the pedestrian network that connects the Hotel District to the commercial city center. The project design concept by Peter Marino achieves a successful massing response to the local context and proposes two structures with a central courtyard. The entrance to the serviced furnished apartment wing is from the southwest corner, the calmest part of the site. Residents enjoy easy access to the courtyard that includes retail outlets, restaurants, and cafes, limited in use to maintain privacy and intimacy. The rooftop offers a garden and sun terrace with spectacular views and access to the second building. The wellness center, which will be operated by a world leader in the field, features top design, equipment and professionals, to cater for its clientele. With Idepconsult-Mounir Saroufim & Partners (Lebanon) Mina El Hosn/Lot 1338 Mixed-use/BUA 17,174 sq m Detailed Design Phase S O U K S S E C T O R Peter Marino Architects 121
Triple-A Office Building Design by Fumihiko Maki and Associates Japan The scheme, which has drawn the interest of high profile potential tenants, proposes a distinctive triple-a office building that highlights flexibility and efficiency of the internal space and that will be a model for Beirut s future as the place where international businesses establish their headquarters. The concept incorporates a large podium as a contemporary interpretation of the porous urbanism that creates the unique character of the Middle Eastern souk with its sheltered passageways. The podium introduces filtered natural light and a lower scale storefront in a modern design vocabulary. In response to the global trend for multi-use and loosely defined working environments, a series of linked green spaces run throughout the tower. Referred to as vertical urbanism, they connect the work spaces to the surrounding city and sea. The building concept has been optimized for Beirut s mild winters and hot summers using a double-skin façade. The outer skin is a mix of translucent and transparent glazing of a ceramic frit to protect against wind and solar radiation, allowing diffuse light to fall through. The inner skin is fully glazed and includes slits, allowing for fresh air to reach the interior. As the building is located in a mainly residential and hotel district, a number of amenities are offered on site to answer tenants daily needs. These include a canteen, rooftop restaurant, convenience store and several other facilities that will make the building a one-stop destination. While awaiting the submission of the schematic design, an additional soil investigation campaign has paved the way for shoring and excavation, and a building permit has been activated for temporary shoring and substructure works. With Fouad Menem Consultants and Partners (Lebanon) Mina El Hosn/Lot 1493 Offices/BUA 27,000 sq m Under Design H O T E L D I S T R I C T Fumihiko Maki and Associates 123
178 Saifi Design by Nabil Gholam Architects Lebanon The development was conceived as a natural extension to the popular Saifi Village and comprises a cluster of one office and four residential buildings. Designed for people leading a contemporary lifestyle, it offers a variety of services and conveys a discrete sense of luxury. A landscaped courtyard that runs through the five units serves as a relaxation space for tenants and integrates archeological finds revealed during the excavation works. The apartment buildings are townhouse-like units characterized by space, light, calm, and comfort: a quiet haven in a great urban location. They incorporate a wide range of living options, including large lofts, mini lofts with a combined living-working space, ground floor maisonettes with private gardens, central hall apartments, and a variety of penthouses with generous terraces. The fifth unit houses quality serviced offices, and its difference in end use is reflected in its cladding, which has an inner Corten façade covered with triangular fin louvers and urban windows, creating a suspended garden. Landscape Design by Vladimir Djurovic Landscape Architecture (Lebanon) Saifi/Lot 178 Residential/BUA 7,210 sq m Office BUA 2,181 sq m Recreational/BUA 1,700 sq m Retail/BUA 498 sq m Under Construction S A I F I Nabil Gholam Architects 125