Waterfront Loop- a city born from the sea

USEK - Holy spirit University of Kaslik

Project idea

Waterfront Regeneration of Tripoli:
A Socially Sustainable Design

When it comes to Lebanon, the coast is the only “space” that connects the city and the rest of the region with the sea, all due to the different geographical alternations. This leads to the coast becoming a vital segment of the country, that holds all different activities of the city. However, this notion continues to shrink through time.
The Lebanese accessible shore for the public is now a single patch between the barriers of privatization.
This whole situation created a GAP: between Humans, the City, and the Seashore.
Due to the site’s surrounding environment, from pollution to industrial noise, and lack of accessibility, it became an isolated island from the Mina region itself and the modern-day Tripoli and its core and the sea.
The major challenges found in the area differ from environmental, social, spatial, and urban. The main ones concerning the region is the unorganized tourism sector, the passive production sector, the underestimated site’s location, the under-threat heritage buildings, and the low accessibility and mobility near the site.

Therefore, a new strategy must be adapted in order to:
- Relink back the fragments
- Allow better accessibility to the site
Provide a higher flow of people to the site and its surrounding.

The approach consists of a future vision for Tripoli that aims to explore opportunities and propose an aspirational vision for Tripoli’s Waterfront. It attempts to redefine the waterfront by re-establishing urban connections, creating an attraction for residents and tourists alike, and testing innovative strategies for future change.

Main Objectives:

A CITY OF LIFE
Bring Back Tripoli’s Image: a secured- well-connected city that can be destined from all over the world

II. A CITY OF DESTINATION
Revive Its Attraction Factor: reintegrate its tourist sites in a new interlinked system to activate the poles and unify the city.

III. A CITY OF UNITY:
Reestablish Tripoli’s Fragments: sea, city, and people linkage through a holistic approach.

Project description

The surrounding street activation in the site can enhance accessibility and allow a new link between the different poles of tourism. The site will be the major component of re-organizing tourism throughout the city.

Therefore, Upcoming Flows are welcomed through the site's touristic plaza, which will become the new key to Tripoli’s flourishment. This will provide for the city:
- Organize of the tourism sector
- Link the different surrounding fabrics
- Enhance Tripoli’s image as a city of tourism and leisure

The urban strategy led to transforming the site into a loop that connects new and deactivated connections in order to allow a flow of people to the isolated site. This has created a new circulation system in the site to link it with the core of the city and El Mina. How about the sea and Land connection?
The extension of the corniche has created a loop of circulation that intersects with the activated streets.

The souk, the heart of the project, lies on the ground floor level as the core of attraction for all social classes and visitors. The souk’s circulation main inspiration is the old Souk in El Mina, where the activated main streets become the main spines linked with a new circulation system of alleys and corridors created within to give a sense of belonging. Just like in the old times, the souk is functionally divided according to local potentials such as the gastronomical souk near Fisher’s port to activate this sector. The second division Is dedicated to crafts and production to activate the industrial sector and the last one is the transmitter is Tripoli’s image for the national and international flows.

The architectural intervention will allow the unification of the shore and land to go through its elevation off-ground. This project will recreate the long-lost linkage between the sea shore, and the city, and reinforce the relation between the users and the shore. The introverted volume, just like the old Khan, maintains a high visual connection with the ground souk, the city, and the sea, allowing an interrupted connection along interior/exterior linkage.. Its shape is given by the site’s grid and directions to integrate it with the surroundings, directed toward the poles and the landmarks.

Technical information

The project has technical sheets explaining its sustainability, fire safety, and structural aspects. It has many sustainable features integrated as described in the sheets below such as natural ventilation and lighting, allowing thermal comfort in the buildings, rainwater collections, and integration of green spaces and terraces all over the project. it also covers the fire escape evacuations plans as well as new modern structures for such demanding functions.