Sitting on the sloping topography of Beirut’s renowned Raouché, and on the land of a previous ambassador’s residence, this new residential complex comprises two mid-rise buildings and a multi-story villa amidst the site’s natural landscape. The massing of both buildings is dictated by several interlocking volumes, shifting to offer apartments across all floors views of the Mediterranean and the bay around the ancient Raouché Rocks—the area’s timeless tourist attraction. Cascading along the marked slope of the site, and ensconced within the greenery, the new villa stands out as an entirely separate typology, offering one privileged living space that opens up to stepping green terraces. All three entities are connected through a green piazza that serves as a drop-off and leads into the basement floors that house the parking, a naturally lit gym, and pool.
The design of 679 addresses several challenges, including legal and height restrictions due to its sensitive location within the airport fly zone. The site’s steep topography necessitated the formation of several embedded levels, requiring a critical and subtle approach towards space planning and accessibility.
The architecture emphasizes environmental sustainability; the south façade displays vertical shading panels, and the roofs are designed to accommodate photovoltaic cells. Along with a rainwater collection system and green terraces crowning each volume, the project implements a clear strategy aimed at reducing utility costs for residents and minimizing environmental impact on the city.
The façades are accented with thick, subtly faceted concrete slabs. These slabs are lined with gently angled strips, creating a texture that mimics the stratification of stone evident along the nearby coast. Colorful gradient panels adorn the glass expanses between the horizontal walls of the façades, adding a playful interplay of shadows and hues through the louvers, against the stratified mass of the concrete slabs. The verve of the colored panels calls to mind Beirut’s hopeful architecture from the 1960s and 1970s.
