Revitalizing: Build Back Better

UCSI University

Project idea

Beirut is one of the top ten seaports in the Mediterranean Sea and is regarded as the Middle East’s gateway. The port was developed from a local port to a regional and transhipment centre through self-financing.

The timeline of Beirut used to be under the Roman empire and experienced Civil War and bomb attacks from Syria. In 2020, a massive explosion occurred in a warehouse that struck Beirut's economy. The citizens protested the government, which shadowed their waste crisis, safety issues and others. In 2021, the local artists commemorated the victims through sculpture and portraits.

The Port of Beirut is located at a strategic location surrounded by mountains. They are well known for their seaport activities as the food supply of Beirut city mainly depend on imported food. After the blast, the port is putting massive effort into rebuilding economic support.

Project description

The intermodal network act as the central spine to connect the users from end to end in such a long site. Besides, a canal is being carved out between the site to allow the ship-to-ship cargo transfer, maximizing the productivity within the port of Beirut. The aqueduct that responds to Roman history act as the branches to differentiate the zoning of the activities and allow connection between them. There are also bridges and escalators between each zone to connect the users to the whole site and different levels.

The second aspect focus on sustainability in urban planning. Green energy plays a pivotal role by installing a rainwater collection system due to the rainy season in Beirut from November-February annually. Moreover, windfarm and solar panels are also planned in the port as Beirut’s strategic location is surrounded by mountains. Solar panels are mostly installed on the roof of the railway station or buildings to save space and increase solar efficiency.

Furthermore, food production and security are also included in the planning of the Port of Beirut to reduce the reliance on food imports. A modern designed floating farm poultry and crops farming is expected to produce foods to help alleviate the food shortage in the cities. Besides that, the new silo port and the refurbished silo building are both next to the farm, which is expected to increase the storage capacity.

The urban strategies are expected to spur domestic and international tourism as part of the economic recovery plan because of the explosion. A planned bazaar and cultural & heritage zone are on the project site to promote Lebanese culture to local and international tourists. Besides, a recreational park near the waterfront offers a comfortable area for the local community to hang out with their loved ones.

The selected site is located adjacent to the ruined silos available after the explosion happened in the port of Beirut to encourage a culture of innovation in the system. It is located next to the memorial park on the tourism site. This would help create connections between local and international travelers and boost the economy of the site by commercializing to the end-users. At the same time, it can launch schemes on innovation programs in education.

Technical information

The transporting mechanism used the Ferris wheel concept to ease the transportation of the grains at different levels. The operational silo enables users to understand the operating mechanism of silos by displaying the grain from the exterior and showcasing how the grain is being transferred to the silo. The display silo was inspired by the ruined silo, which allows the users to experience the structure of the silo building.