An elegant and unpretentious structure located at one of Beirut’s busiest traffic intersections, the Pine Center imposes itself as a landmark project dignified for its prominent location.

Composed of four parking basements, three commercial levels and topped by an office tower of ten typical floors, it represents an early turn of the millennium stylistic example, Pine center is deeply rooted in the Mediterranean Modernist architectural discourse of the 20th century.

The building’s two entities, the base, housing the commercial and retail functions, and the tower, are an exercise in establishing prominence through the use of minimalist architectural features and plain geometries, all meticulously tailored to fit the site.

The tower plan is a right angle triangle, with the circulation core located centrally on the hypotenuse. This provides the project with a very efficient design, reducing required circulation areas. The triangular plan also provides multiple vistas from the interior and prominent perspective features and accentuated vanishing points from the exterior.

Manifesting itself as an expression of formality and plasticity sculpted in smooth fair-faced concrete, the façade is left in its natural color, avoiding kitschy overtones.

An exterior skin of double walls creates an exterior spatial character of prominence, where the inner glazed window-walls are shaded by their recessed nature. These articulations are planted with lush greenery, making the tower an environmentally conscientious response to the traffic congested and polluted city. Palm trees planted on the surrounding pedestrian sidewalks also support this approach. 

The square window cuts through the outer fair-faced concrete skin are all proportioned and applied rationally, making the building devoid of any unsightly features. This is a project that has multitudes of complex and contradictory characteristics, such as prominence with a permanent shadowy presence, formal plasticity, a casual, contemporary Mediterranean panache with a futuristic outlook, all well integrated to the location, culture, climate and times.