Following the devastating August 4, 2020 Beirut port explosion, CMA CGM’s Headquarters in Beirut suffered serious damage that required complete refurbishment. The renovation and reconstruction began with a thorough assessment of the building’s structural and architectural viability. After the structure was tested and deemed safe, the rest of the rebuilding was fast-tracked, from scratch, and completed a year later as a message of hope and resilience from the company. The architectural challenge became an endeavor to recreate the details of the building with more contemporary fittings and updated technical solutions while staying true to the original design intent.
Overlooking Beirut and its port, this transparent composite structure accommodates the full range of functions and amenities required for the headquarters of the world’s third-largest container shipping company. The building is divided into three slender, sculpted masses grouped around a full-height atrium and a glazed double-height lobby. The atrium serves as a central glass spine, linking the various components together through suspended walkways and flooding all internal spaces with natural light.
The double skin of glass is shielded by an asymmetrical grid of brushed steel and Pietra Serena stone louvers, hung perpendicular to the glass walls, which function as sunscreens without compromising transparency. The louvers, oriented according to the geometry of the surrounding streets, create a series of wedges across the building’s surface, causing the grid to vary in thickness. The horizontal sun breakers do not align with the floor slabs, transforming the scale of the six-story building. Bands of frit glass mask structural and technical elements while ensuring privacy. When illuminated at night, these bands transform the building’s commanding daytime presence into a softer, more ethereal silhouette, making it resemble a glowing ship afloat on the sea.
Team:
Photography: Richard Saad, Marco Pinarelli, Wael Hamza
World Architecture News Awards 2009, Long-listed commercial sector
