One goal, one passion - Beirut

Project idea

The project is a proposal for Beirut Port reconstruction, which consists of several points of attraction serving the purpose of memory, new life of the area and the introduction of new technologies. The idea is to set a new beginning for commercial, social, cultural and technical interactions.

Project description

The project focuses on creating two parts for the area: cargo port and mixed-use territory with passenger terminal, pedestrian path above the ground, which leads to the monument of memory and memorial complex on the place of the explosion.
The container terminal is equipped with “High Bay Storage System” developed by DP World. This is a modern container storage system which allows users to have direct access to every container individually due to the conveyor system and automated racking on the lot.
Within the framework of the project, it was proposed to create a unified system of greenery in the city, including the existing green spaces of Beirut and new green areas of the port.
The bus line and a monorail way are offered as public transportation. Public transport network can be extended to serve existing streets and districts.
At the site of the explosion, it is planned to create a memorial complex with a museum and a covered glass gallery above the water. The shape of the gallery is created in opposition to the outlines of the explosion, creating new life and new flourishing for the port and the city. Visually, the memorial complex is divided into two parts: a museum part, covered and secluded, symbolizing memory and sorrow, and an open one with a gallery facing the new silos building of the cargo port on the one side, and on the other, the old destroyed silos, in the thickness of which light openings are formed according to the number of victims of the explosion. A fountain was created in front of the silos with water flowing through it into the sea.
The pedestrian path is inspired by the Lebanese Cedar. The roots of it are coming from the city symbolizing present material world. The farther the path takes people, the closer they get to the memorial and simultaneously to the spiritual part of our existence. Moreover, the path is equipped with kinetic tiles. Every time people walk across it, the technology captures their kinetic energy and turns it into electricity. The more people, the more energy is created. Pedestrians can be rewarded with cash for their walking. The same technology can be installed on the roadway. The ground level of the central promenade is a traditional Lebanese market (bazaar).
The pedestrian path leads to the monument of memory. It’s a stele on the octahedron, eight sides of which represent the symbol of infinity - a lemniscate. The body of the stele symbolizes the history of Beirut previously to the explosion. The golden part with explosion-shaped cutout represents the explosion and its consequences for the city. It was a tremendous pain but it will make Beirut and its citizens stronger. The column is crowned with a spotlight aimed to the sky to represent the rebirth of the city and its further history.
The project was made under the supervision of Master of Architecture Victoria Matveichuk, senior tutor at Polotsk State University.

Technical information

The project was made in AutoCAD, Photoshop, Blender 3D, SketchUp. It consists of 4 boards.

Documentation

Show PDF 1