Institute of War - An Anti-Monument Approach to Contemporary Ruins by Wen Wen

Institute of War An Anti-monument Approach to Contemporary Ruins

wen wen m.arch I thesis advisor: jorge silvetti

PREFACE 03 INTRODUCTION ORIGINAL DESIGN ARCHITECT CIVIL WAR & RECONSTRUCTION POST CIVIL WAR TIME LINE

09 11 15 21 27

ICONOCITY 29 PAST PROPOSALS 43 STRATEGY CONCEPT 53 BUILDING ORGANIZATION 55 PROGRAM 57 AFFECT 69 DESIGN 83

preface The ever-increasing number of conflicts and natural disasters has left behind a significant amount of contemporary ruins, whose iconic statuses are often not pre-determined, but entirely circumstantial. During reconstruction efforts, questions of identity plague these structures, rendering them in limbo between the developers’ need to prioritize economic realities and the public’s need to commemorate and heal. The “Egg” in Beirut, Lebanon, was one of these contemporary ruins: planned as part of a mixed-use development project in the height of Lebanese modernism during the 1960s, its concrete shell assumed the geometry of the theatre it once housed, half-buried in the podium of shopping malls from which two office towers were to rise. The Lebanese Civil War halted construction before the complex could be finished, and left the rest of the structure in such precarious state that all but the concrete shell was subsequently destroyed. Today, the “Egg” stands alone on an empty lot in downtown Beirut, puzzling architects whose past proposals ranged from redevelopment to monumentalization. The thesis proposal takes an anti-monument approach, enclosing the existing structure in a glass box, the transparency of which renders the structure in its semi-legible silhouette, emerging only at night. As a result, visitors embark on a journey of analytical rediscovery of the structure. The new Institute of War is a place where archival and research programs are brought face to face with the material history of the war that is the “Egg,” in an attempt to overlay old memories with new ones.

introduction

Located in downtown Beirut, the project was originally designed in 1968 by the Lebanese architect Joseph Philippe Karam as part of a mixe-used development named “Beirut City Center.” The architect had envisioned a “tower-on-podium” scheme with two high-rises of office perched atop a podium of shopping malls. The egg-shaped shell contains a theatre and was the architect’s response to building codes requiring theatres to be completely enclosed and the commercial desire to maximize uses of the podium spaces. However, construction was halted by the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 and the complex was never finished. One of the two towers that was built had to be demolished after the war due to its precarious condition, leaving only the egg-shaped shell and several slabs, in front of a three-storied deep pit where the tower once stood. It also resulted in the peculiar opening on one end of the Egg where it once butted into the tower. The structure thus earned the nickname “the Egg,” amongst others such as the Dome, the Bubble, and the soap.

INTRODUCTION

ORIGINAL DESIGN

Beirut City Center Perspective Joseph Philippe Karam

The Egg, post-war

The original architectural plans for the City Center

June 2009

Original Floor Plan Showing Egg Embedded in Podium Joseph Philippe Karam

Many of those on the Faceb group who support preserving Egg do so because they want to what they call the ‘Dubai-ificat of Lebanon. This allegation is ticularly sensitive given that the where the Egg is located is owned by the ADIH and the d sion as to whether the Egg stay goes rests not in Lebanon but in Dhabi. This point has not been on those who argue for preser the Egg. As Jack Samaha, on Facebook group proclaimed, “ identity and culture as Lebanes not for sale [to] Gulf millionaire Not all agree with this no that the destruction of the Egg make Lebanon more like the G and many posts support the dem tion of the Egg. “I saw the Beirut Gate pro and I have to say it's very ni wrote Patrick Saab on the Faceb group. “The Egg is a mess, an can be replaced or rebuilt anyw else. Put culture aside, think mod

INTRODUCTION

ARCHITECT

Joseph Philippe Karam (1923–1976) was a Lebanese architect. He graduated in 1946 from the Université Saint-Joseph, Ecole Francaise d’Ingenieurs et d’Architectes, majoring in Mathematics and Architecture. In his thirty-year career, Karam was considered a leading figure of modern architecture in Lebanon. Among his influential projects are the Beirut City Center, a multi-use complex with an egg-shaped shell housing a cinema, surrounded by towers and at the time the largest shopping mall in the middle east. The outbreak of the civil war in Lebanon in 1975 left the structure damaged beyond repair. Most of the buildings were razed but there have been some efforts to rehabilitate the egg (also nicknamed ‘sabouneh’ or soap by locals) which has survived, and which now occupies an iconic place in the hearts of Lebanese nostalgic for the country’s prewar era. In June 2004, a front page article in The Wall Street Journal discussed some designs to preserve and restore the egg. The “egg” served as a venue for cultural events and parties till 2010. Since this date, its fate became unknown and numerous rumors concerning its eventual demolition went through. Two of his other projects during the same period are shown on the following page, whose similarities with Beirut City Center are rather conspicuous.

INTRODUCTION

TOWARDS A LEBANESE MODERNISM

Urban Center Jeddah Joseph Philippe Karam

Baabda Central Hospital Joseph Philippe Karam

INTRODUCTION

LEBANESE CIVIL WAR & RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS

A comparison of a map of downtown Beirut from the 1970s and postwar survey map shows that the majority of the urban fabric in downtown Beirut has essentially been obliterated, making re-construction a pressing need. After the end of the Civil War in 1991, Solidere – a joint-stock public-private partnership founded by the then Prime Minister Rafik Hariri – took over the reconstruction of Beirut, with the goal of winning back its pre-war title “Paris of the Middle East.” Reconstruction then became the opportunity to restore the past and to adopt a new identity. With the consent of the government, Solidere was able to exercise eminent domain over privately-own or historically-charged buildings, spurring oppositions throughout the city.

top / Tourist Map of Beirut 1970s bottom / Post-War Survey Map 1991

INTRODUCTION

LEBANESE CIVIL WAR & RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS

During cease-fires in 1977 and 1983 plans were prepared for the city by APUR (Atelier Parisien d’Urbanisme) and IAURIF (L’Institut D’Amenagement et D’Urbanisme de L’lle de France). APUR’s plan for the development of the central area of the city (1.5 x 1 kilometer square) represented the philosophy of “soft intervention”: That is minimal intervention in the city, through strict preservation controls, denouncing in many ways the grand gestures of the French Mandate Period. - p. 58, Esther Charlesworth, Comparative methodologies for post-war reconstruction: the examples of Warsaw, Hanoi, Beirut and Mostar top / APUR Plan 1977 bottom / “Haussmannian Axes” in Solidere’s Plan 1992

INTRODUCTION

LEBANESE CIVIL WAR & RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS

Nijmeh Square Post Reconstruction Solidere

“Stop Solidere” Signs Throughout the City

INTRODUCTION

THE EGG POST CIVIL WAR

The Egg was abandoned before it was ever officially open, although still spotting ad hoc functions like exhibitions and performances from time to time before it was completely closed off to public in the late 2000s. The Egg, throughout this process, became a particularly controversial site. It is located on a prominent block at the intersection of the Green Line – the battle front between the Christian East Beirut and the Muslim West Beirut – and the Foaad Chehab Highway – one of the major arteries connecting the suburbs of Beirut and its central Hamra district. Faced with potential demolition, the Egg inspired protests and a documentary titled “Save the Egg” in 2009. Till this day, it stands on an empty block that makes for an urban pedestal, in contrast to the rest of the downtown Beirut where the war-time memories seem to be slowly evaporating.

top / The Egg c. 1991 Gabrielle Basilico bottom / The Egg c. 1991

INTRODUCTION

THE EGG POST CIVIL WAR

top / Interior View of Egg during an Ad-Hoc Exhibition Photo by Prof. George Abbud bottom / Interior View of Egg during an Ad-Hoc Exhibition Photo by Prof. George Abbud

INTRODUCTION

THE EGG POST CIVIL WAR

The Egg in January 2016 Photo by Ramzi Naja

INTRODUCTION

TIME LINE

Land Ownership

Developed by Samadi and Salha

Related Proposals

Building

CONSTRUCTED

5 8 196 196

Political

ABANDONED

197

SOLIDERE SOLD THE LAND TO ABU DHABI INVESTMENT HOUSE (ADIH)

FOUNDATION OF SOLIDERE

“SAVE THE EGG” CAMPAIGN

CHRISTIAN DE PORTZAMPARC PROPOSAL COMMISSIONED BY ADIH

BERNARD KHOURY PROPOSAL COMMISSIONED BY SOLIDERE

DEMOLISHED EXCEPT FOR THEATRE

CLOSED TO PUBLIC

199 0

199

CIVIL WAR

LAND RESOLD TO OLAYAN GROUP

200

0 4 6 200 200 201

LEBANON-ISRAEL WAR

201

iconicity

Due to its location and peculiar geometry, the Egg has long been associated with memories of the Civil War and had become part of the countriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; collective memory. It has found its way into popular imageries. Some of the examples shown below show the range and depth of the impression that the Egg has left on people - both Lebanese and non-Lebanese. The fate of the Egg essentially became the question of how one reconciles the need to remember oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past and the desire to forget and move forward.

ICONICITY

GEORGE DAOU / D-SCAPE

In this collage series, the Egg is seen crawling through rubbles of postwar Beirut, a living organism that continues to haunt the memories of the people.

George Daou is a Lebanese architectural visualizer.

ICONICITY

GEORGE DAOU / D-SCAPE

ICONICITY

HATTY PEDDER / BEIRUT - AN IDENTITY ADRIFT

In these illustrations, the Egg becomes the backdrop to various activities that take place in the city of Beirut.

Hatty Pedder is a British illustrator/ artist based in Dubai. She trained at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, where she gained a BA degree in Graphic Design specializing in illustration in 1994. In London she illustrated for various publications including Tatler before arriving in Dubai in 1995. Hatty commenced her creative career in Dubai working as a fashion stylist and photographer – both experiences have heavily influenced her work today. In 2005 with Dubai’s artistic community rapidly developing, she returned to her roots as a fulltime illustrator/ artist. Hatty has illustrated for many agencies, publications and leading brands both in Dubai and internationally.

left / The Martrys right / It’s Time The Moji Gallery Dubai / Septembre 2013

ICONICITY

HATTY PEDDER / BEIRUT - AN IDENTITY ADRIFT

She is full of contradictions. She is complex and confusing. Both charming and selfish. Consistently unpredictable she will lure you and repel you. Make you feel disillusioned and then equally exhilarated. She can fill you with all manner of frustrations but never fails to envelop you in her unique embrace.

She is Beirut.

Home to a perplexing mix of Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, Maronite Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Armenian Christians, Protestants and Druze, each trying to hold on to their individual identities as small groups of East Asians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Africans, Arabs, Europeans and North Americans float in the ever shifting layers in between. Beirut is as complicated as it is vibrant. And it is at this intersection of complexity and chaos that British artist Hatty Pedder starts her journey of investigation, interrogation, and interpretation of a society endlessly wrestling with it’s own identity. Or lack of. A question of identity that seems to be forever in a state of flux. Never quite able to truly form. A schizophrenic personality constantly suffering the consequences of historical internal divisions, on-going external manipulations and never ending hidden agendas. All mixed in with a large dose of rampant consumerism, kitsch, nostalgia, indifference and a ‘everyman for himself’ attitude. A fascinating and intriguing subject for an artist to explore and express. ... Beirut, a city belonging to everyone and nobody.

left / Egg The Moji Gallery Dubai / Septembre 2013

ICONICITY

CORNELIA KRAFT / 777

In an rare instance where a play was put up inside of the Egg, one can see how the structure itself could inspire various forms of expressions.

777 was a one-time performance art event held in the former DOME - city center - a cinema in the 1960s and later a sniper hideout and mass graveyard during the civil war, particularly due to its location on Beirutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Green Line. Since then, it has been left as an unrenovated and largely neglected site, molded by shelling, in the middle of downtown Beirut. -- C.K.

7 7 7 sins & dreams @ pm May 21st, 2010

ICONICITY

CORNELIA KRAFT / 777

past proposals

The fate of the Egg essentially became the question of how one reconciles the need to remember oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past and the desire to forget and move forward. Scores of architects, both local and international, had proposed various ways of addressing this issue. Here, two of the many proposals were selected to demonstrate the two ends of the spectrum when it comes to the addressing this contemporary ruin.

PAST PROPOSALS

BERNARD KNOURY / DW5 + i KERBAJ 2004

On the one hand, there is the monumentalization of the Egg – Bernard Khoury – probably the most renowned contemporary Lebanese architect – had proposed to excavate the slabs and completely exposing the Egg, before wrapping it in a wire mesh and turning the exposed section into a projection screen. The Egg, now standing isolated on an otherwise empty urban block, becomes the ultimate monument to be revered.

“Class restoration, though, isn’t what he has in mind. He plans to surround the distinctive dome in huge red scaffolding that spreads out over the whole property, giving it the permanent feel of a construction site. The surface of the building will be left as is - bullet pocks, mortar holes, crumbling plaster and all - wrapped in wire mesh. A pavilion below the dome will be studded with windows onto the subterranean floors, which will house gallery and exhibition spaces.”

top / Exterior Perspective from the North Bernard Khoury & DW5 bottom / East Elevation Bernard Khoury & DW5

PAST PROPOSALS

BERNARD KHOURY / DW5 + MAZEN KERBAJ 2004

The Ground Interface The first floor and the remains of the second floor slab will be demolished as we propose to clear the platform on which the theater stands. A process of excavation will partially reveal the exploitable lower slab. The “archaeological” dig will be performed systematically according to the slab’s underlying structure to allow for natural light to penetrate through the ground floor and into the lower spaces. This lineup of horizontal “vitrines” will result in obstacles which transform the platform into a permeable interface, structured as a modern reinterpretation of the French garden. The Shell The theater shell will be enveloped in a mosaic of mirrors. This treatment will not only cover the wartorn skin but also transform it into a reflective surface. This effect will lighten the volume of the theater as it should reflect distorted and fragmented images of its active surroundings.

The Electronic Garden The 9-meter-deep void facing the theater remains from the interrupted construction of a new tower in the late 1990’s, to become another essential element in our intervention. The surface perimeter of the 9 meters of high space will extend to the floor as a continuous canvas to display video installation projections. The visitors will inhabit the gigantic image that will fill the void. The prosthesis, a 16.8-by-11.3meter screen, will be placed onto the amputated southern facade of the theater shell. The proposed screen will project the cyber-interface of the new “city center”. Beyond its spectacular physical exposure in Downtown Beirut, the new city center will also be a major electronic portal monitored along a network of points constituting an alternative journey through the World Wide Web. This network of electronic space will feature new types of exhibitions, performances, concerts and interactive events all accessible via the city center’s internet portal. left / Clip from the Wall Street Journal right / West Elevation Bernard Khoury & DW5

“Archaeological Dig” demolish 1st & 2nd fl Ground Treatment

“Prosthesis” 16.8 x 11.3 m screen Section Treatment

Object “Objectivity”

Immediate Context

“Internet Portal” exhibitions, performances, concerts and interactive events Program/Activities top / Ground Floor Plan Bernard Khoury & DW5 bottom / South & North Elevations Bernard Khoury & DW5

PAST PROPOSALS

CHRISTIAN DE PORTZAMPARC / EGRA GROUP 2009

In another proposal by Pritzker Price laureate, the Moroccan-born French architect Christian de Portzamparc, the Egg is dwarfed by the surrounding high-rises, atop a restaurant which now occupies the podium underneath. Ironically, this is a scheme much closer to its original proposal. Here, although the Egg is physically preserved, it was not given an adaptive re-use that honors, if anything recognizes, the past associated with it.

The ADIH would not speak to Executive but in an interview with Bdier, in January, an unnamed representative stated: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Solidere wishes us to keep the soul of this dome by either reshaping it or doing something similar. We took it into consideration and we are considering it, because it also has to financially make sense for us to do it. For this plot, we bought and paid [for] 39,000 meters squared of built up area, and the dome is only taking up 6,000 or 7,000 meters squared. The developer who is going to buy it is looking at it.â&#x20AC;?

top / East Perspective bottom / Renderings with the Egg embedded

“Infilled” restored 1st & 2nd fl Ground Treatment

“Subsided” against another bldg Section Treatment

Un-Object “Objectivity”

Immediate Context

Restaurant Program/Activities

strategy

In an attempt to find the delicate balance between these two ends of the spectrum, the project adopts an antimonument approach, so that the Egg does not become a self-imposed obstacle between the past and the present, for it is not about choosing between remembering and forgetting â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as it was the case implied by the two past proposals shown earlier â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but about overlaying new experiences on top of old ones so that the collective memory can move forward.

STRATEGY

CONCEPT

STRATEGY

BUILDING ORGANIZATION

To do so, the Egg is encased in a glass box through which only an indistinguishable geometry is visible. Once inside the glass box, the visitors embarks on a journey of an analytical (re)discovery of the Egg, where its peculiar geometry is no longer discernible in its entirety, instead, the snippets invite the visitor –whether he is experiencing the Egg for the first time or for the hundredth time – to piece together the sculpture-like object on his own. Glass is chosen as the primary material for the interesting relationship between the Egg and the city it creates – The Egg’s exposed section – probably the least legible for it negates the peculiarity of the geometry – became front and center – a sculpture that sends one into pondering what is hidden inside the glass box. An opaque sandstone box, also enclosed by the glass box, flank the Egg and proves contrast to the other side, which is more transparent.

STRATEGY

PROGRAM

As an important material history of the Civil War, the Egg is also closely tied to the various programs of the building. The new Institute of War is a place to study the history of the Lebanese Civil War, as well as a place for addressing the current conflicts in neighboring Syria and the greater region. Roughly divided into four categories, the building houses both public and private functions. The archive portion contains storage and supporting facilities; the research portion includes Center for European and Middle Eastern studies – speaking to Beirut’s unique position as the crossroad between the Orient and the Occident and its hybrid identities – as well as the Center for Arab Architecture; The UN High Commission for Refugees field office is a place for research and planning, with workshops for the one million Syrian refugees who currently reside in Lebanon; other public programs such as public plaza, café, and shared work space activate the building even after the offices are closed.

archive

archive storage 5,500 m2 reference and circulation 500 m2 reading rooms 500 m2

field office

united nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) field office 200 m2 workshop for refugees 200 m2

research

center for arab architecture 400 m2 center for middle eastern studies 400 m2 center for european studies 400 m2

public

reflecting pool public plaza auditorium cafe terrace exhibition space shared work space

1,200 m2 1,560 m2 550 m2 150 m2 1,200 m2 200 m2

STRATEGY

PROGRAM

archive

archive storage 5,500 m2 reference and circulation 500 m2 reading rooms 500 m2

field office

united nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) field office 200 m2 workshop for refugees 200 m2

research

center for arab architecture 400 m2 center for middle eastern studies 400 m2 center for european studies 400 m2

public

reflecting pool public plaza auditorium cafe terrace exhibition space shared work space

1,200 m2 1,560 m2 550 m2 150 m2 1,200 m2 200 m2

STRATEGY

PROGRAM

archive

archive storage 5,500 m2 reference and circulation 500 m2 reading rooms 500 m2

field office

united nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) field office 200 m2 workshop for refugees 200 m2

research

center for arab architecture 400 m2 center for middle eastern studies 400 m2 center for european studies 400 m2

public

reflecting pool public plaza auditorium cafe terrace exhibition space shared work space

1,200 m2 1,560 m2 550 m2 150 m2 1,200 m2 200 m2

STRATEGY

PROGRAM

archive

archive storage 5,500 m2 reference and circulation 500 m2 reading rooms 500 m2

field office

united nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) field office 200 m2 workshop for refugees 200 m2

research

center for arab architecture 400 m2 center for middle eastern studies 400 m2 center for european studies 400 m2

public

reflecting pool public plaza auditorium cafe terrace exhibition space shared work space

1,200 m2 1,560 m2 550 m2 150 m2 1,200 m2 200 m2

STRATEGY

PROGRAM

archive

archive storage 5,500 m2 reference and circulation 500 m2 reading rooms 500 m2

field office

united nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) field office 200 m2 workshop for refugees 200 m2

research

center for arab architecture 400 m2 center for middle eastern studies 400 m2 center for european studies 400 m2

public

reflecting pool public plaza auditorium cafe terrace exhibition space shared work space

1,200 m2 1,560 m2 550 m2 150 m2 1,200 m2 200 m2

STRATEGY

CIRCULATION

affect

Glass is chosen as the primary material for the interesting relationship between the Egg and the city it creates – while the building almost disappears amongst its urban context during the day, it starts to come to life at night when the silhouette of the egg emerges from inside the glass box. Beirut, with its vibrant nightlife scene, embraces the experiences of the Egg at night. The Egg’s exposed section – probably the least legible for it negates the peculiarity of the geometry – became front and center – a sculpture that sends one into pondering what is hidden inside the glass box.

DESIGN

EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVE / NORTH / DAY

DESIGN

EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVE / NORTH / DUSK

DESIGN

EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVE / NORTH / NIGHT

DESIGN

EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVE / SOUTH / DAY

DESIGN

EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVE / SOUTH / DUSK

DESIGN

EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVE / SOUTH / NIGHT

DESIGN

INTERIOR PERSPECTIVE

DESIGN

101

DESIGN

INTERIOR PERSPECTIVE

103

DESIGN

105

DESIGN

107

DESIGN

109

DESIGN

INTERIOR PERSPECTIVE

111

DESIGN

113

DESIGN

INTERIOR PERSPECTIVE

115

DESIGN

117

DESIGN

INTERIOR PERSPECTIVE

119

121

An anti-monument approach was adopted for this contemporary ruin so as to strike a balance between giving the building the respect it deserves and re-incorporating it into associate functions. Through an analytical rediscovery of the Egg as the centerpiece in the Institute of War, one encounters the material history in a way that makes healing possible.