IE Architecture+ Prize

arcenciel is a Lebanese based NGO. It supports Lebanon’s most underprivileged and marginalized communities, regardless of their religion, political affiliation or nationality. Since its inception, arcenciel’s mission in Lebanon has been to promote diversity, integration, and development, by planning and developing national policies in its active sectors, while keeping its ideological and financial independence.
It carries out 5 core programs: Agriculture & Environment, Mobility & Health, Responsible Tourism, Youth Empowerment, and Social Support; distributed in 15 centers spread throughout the Lebanese territory.

Digging deeper in Beirut’s region - given the needs of the area, the richness of the interventions, and the rapid community expansion - arcenciel’s main center in “Jisr el Wati” appears to be overloaded, yet bursting with energy and a life of its own.
Today, this center provides medical and paramedical care; it produces wheelchairs, walkers, and other mobility equipment. It also treats Infectious Hospital Care Waste and collects recyclable waste. It assists as well youth and people in difficulty, through its Rainbow Club, its ceramic workshop, and its Social and Placement Office.

Hence, my interest emerges in upgrading this center; reinventing and transforming its role in society; creating a better place for all, while maintaining the humble cause of arcenciel and offering an accurate response to the actual needs of the association and the region.

Inspired by its gradual evolution, its history and social involvement, the proposed regenerated center embodies the spirit and culture of arcenciel, by highlighting the importance of sustainability and innovation. Driven by this approach, the project’s concept is to preserve the existing warehouses’ roof - as a symbol and landmark of perennity - and innovate by gradually introducing/plugging, based on the center’s needs, new warehouse modules, beautifully burnished with arcenciel activities - spaces that boast stories.

This new revived center will therefore bring together all community services under the same roof, with optimized flexibility and accessibility, and an improved environmental and social integration.
Thus, it will provide a dynamic and friendly environment, with lush gardens, rooftops and markets.

The inserted modules will evolve and expand progressively to flow harmoniously on the land, touch its surrounding, forge links with its neighbors, and finally embrace a public piazza -
the project’s heart!