This project is located in one of the most in demand residential neighborhoods and fronting the Head of Parliament’s residence in Ain El Tineh in Beirut.

Benefiting from the frontage onto three streets, the setting out of this seventeen floor tower is key to understanding its architecture.

Our decision to orient the building to the south came after careful analysis of the sightlines at ground floor and at the seventeenth floors, and looking at the allowable and foreseeable constructions in the immediate vicinity of this project.

Then on it was clear, the tower is basically turning its back to the northern orientation and offering a solid expression with its back façade, while it is offering a very transparent non elevation to the south. We say non elevation, since it does not offer any traditional solid elements, but in fact in it’s a composition of powerful horizontal bands framing 11m high gardens, on completely glazed façades.

Each floor houses a single ~1000m2 apartment which has a functional distribution that respects this concept whereby all main reception areas are to the south while services (service core, kitchens, maids,…) are to the north.

All bedrooms have an eastern orientation, and are appropriately located on the calmer side street.

Topping this project is the discreet penthouse volume completely clad with horizontally folding wood louvers. This termination gives a much more slender look to the back volume, reinforcing its image of a shield, and at the same time acting as a strong support for the more spaced out south volume.