Outstanding Architecture and Design Thesis Award

The Lebanese people have been leaving their country unstoppably creating massive waves of immigration, it is estimated that more than 15 million Lebanese are living outside their country and approximately only 4 million inside! This project represents me, being part of those immigrants that comes to visit their relatives once a year, I realized that I have lost interest in this magnificent country where I don't feel part of it. The proposed site is near where the early immigrants left from the port seeking new opportunities and in front of it is where the statue of the immigrants stood in front of one of the strongest blasts that damaged almost half of the city of Beirut and make more Lebanese leave the country. The port explosion was a global event that created a spark that ignited a sense of bonding through empathy which burned the social stigma on that day showing unity in the Lebanese community. Socio-Diaspora will be the First Multicultural Center in Beirut, the mission is to be a place where people from different cultures, and backgrounds interact with each other while learning multiple skills creating an inclusive society, and creating better relations between Lebanese people. The idea is to help Lebanese citizens to benefit and learn from experiences that Lebanese immigrants struggled with and let them succeed in life, and also strengthen their relations. In this project, we don't want to stop immigration but rather help people to connect with other Lebanese around the world benefiting from the huge network that immigration has created while also engaging Lebanese ex-pats in the country.

The monumental aspect of the project is expressing a duality against the Port of Beirut, standing as a powerful element, recreating people's reactions on the day of the event. Massive waves of immigration have been emerging from Lebanon and a new wave emerged when the explosion of the port happened. This project aims at breaking this vicious cycle of immigration by submerging the user into the waves of immigration learning from past mistakes and taking advantage of the huge network of immigrants that will lead the user to experience a transcended present and finally reach a future with full of opportunities. Socio-Diaspora will be a landmark not only for the Lebanese community standing against tragic events throughout history but also for the people that left it all in their country in order to carry on with life.