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Studio Beirut is a public space in itself: a meeting place, think tank, communications channel
for the dialogue between people from different ethnic and
socio-economical groups and a platform for an open debate. Studio
Beirut initiates the debate by means of initiating various projects and
programs, publishing the magazine NOISE in close cooperation with
Archis/Volume, maintaining a website and organizing activities like an
international and multidisciplinary summer school, an international
architecture competition and city tours guided by an architect. This
makes Studio Beirut not only a think tank but also an action tank of
people that initiate projects for the development of the public space.
Studio Beirut develops an infrastructure with a broad outreach
potential by combining a fixed location with a flexible component: A
bus will deliver the program to different parts of the country.
Studio Beirut is a foundation, established by Lebanese young
professionals (architects, urban planners and designers) in close
cooperation with the Dutch organizations Archis, Partizan Publik and
Pearl and former director of political and cultural center De Balie in
Amsterdam, Chris Keulemans and Ole Bouman, director of the Dutch
Architecture institute.
Studio Beirut will be managed by young professionals and a staff of
students, supported by experienced Lebanese professionals and Dutch
organizations.
The location for Studio Beirut is a building in the neighborhood
Gemmayze in the West of Beirut. This location is already been used as
an informal place for organizing different cultural activities. The
growing interest in these activities confirms the need for a center
like Studio Beirut.
Why Studio Beirut?
In the summer of 2006, Lebanon experienced a
devastating war. Besides the physical destruction in large parts of the
country, questions on how Lebanon should be ruled surfaced yet again,
with different parties holding different ideas and visions, pushing the
delicate society that Lebanon is to the brink of a civil war.
Most major relief efforts by friendly nations are targeted to what the
donor country considers to be representative of the public body, thus
politically charged. Such relief will therefore risk shifting the power
balance to the benefit of one part at the cost of the other and further
destabilizes and fragments the fragile civic society of Lebanon.
Although humanitarian and reconstruction efforts are priorities, they
are not enough to ensure that tension (and war) in Lebanon will never
happen again. A more independent and social effort is needed. More
specifically: it is important to find ways to work below the official
radars, avoiding political connotations.
Studio Beirut is therefore an independent organization and a meeting place, a public space in itself. Studio Beirut is not only a meeting place but also a think and action tank of
people that initiate projects for the development of the public space.
Studio Beirut projects
Summer school Beirut August 17 – August 31, 2007International and multidisciplinary summer school: architecture, urban development, design, sociology and political science
A case study on the concept of public space which will also serve
as a basis for the international architecture competition 2007
IntroductionThe initiators of the summer school are
(landscape)architects, urban developers, designers and artists linked
to Studio Beirut, Lebanon, together with the Dutch organizations
Archis, Partizan Publik, Pearl and University of
Amsterdam/ACS. As for all activities of Studio Beirut the focus of the
intensive two weeks summer school will be the public space, that will
be researched on in an, international multidisciplinary team. The
department of political science and and ACS of the University of
Amsterdam (UvA) are experts in conflict studies and the development of
public space: an interdisciplinary approach in cooperation with UvA/ACS
from a spatial as well as a social angle is most valuable.
Summer school goals In a two weeks small-scale summer school
in Beirut an (inter)national group of 25 students (15 Lebanese students
from different universities and faculties in Lebanon and 10
international students will -together with 10 professionals
(architecture, urban development, design, sociology and political
science)- work on the concept of public space. The work shall identify,
analyze formally and socially, and propose interventions and new
programs for the nearly infinite number of derelict or marginal spaces
in Beirut. These terrains vagues, at many scales, from kilometers to
centimeters, present a potential for territorial reassessment and
cultural redefinition that will constitute a body of both research and
action. These will be confronted by teams and individually in a series
of very quick exercises and investigations.
Its first goal is to advance the students’ skills and knowledge. In
addition it will also constitute research and material for the
architectural competition that will follow in the autumn. Thus a body
of information and analysis will be produced by the workshop in order
to inform the competition that will follow the same theme, proposing
(temporary) public spaces in Beirut.
Furthermore the summer school is a preamble of a large scale summer school in 2008.
Part 1 introduction and fact finding mission After a day of
intense introduction, lectures and theory classes the students will the
next day explore the city on in small groups. The Lebanese students
will be the guides for the other students to locate relevant locations
and topics. The next day the whole group will ‘tour’ the city and have
on site discussion on the chosen spots. In a plenary meeting the most
interesting locations will be chosen to elaborate on. Multidisciplinary
teams will work on each location to generate data and defining needs by
means of interviews (with owners, civilians, officials), photo’s, maps
etc.
In this period also general theories and notions on public space will lectured and debated with faculty.
This period will result in an internal presentation of basic findings and a plan for proceeding by each team.
Part 2 design proposals, feasibility study In the second part
of the summer school the students will focus on a clear concept for
‘their’ location, that can range from a large scale urban proposal to a
‘light’ temporary intervention or action, to a theoretical study.
Depending on the proposal the work can range from researching,
modelmaking, interviewing, writing or drawing to creating try-out
performances.
Part 3 presentation The last days the teams will focus on
refining and presenting their proposals. Also the brief for the
competition will be discussed that can be derived from the workshop
findings.
The output of the summer school is input for the final debate at the
event 'Pearls in Lebanon' on September 1 in Beirut and is also input
for the content of the competition reader (00-edition of the magazine
NOISE which Studio Beirut publishes) and website that will be published
at the launch of the competition on November 15.
Theory classes and workshops are given by amongst others Lebanese, Dutch and Norwegian professors and professionals.
Pearls in Lebanon, August 31, 2007 The outcomes of the
summer school are used to initiate the debate on September 1st. During
Pearls in Lebanon a mixed audience will be brought together for
discussion.
The platform also gives the opportunity for project presentations of
Studio Beirut and its projects to possible Lebanese cooperating
partners and investors. During this event the special 0-edition of
NOISE will be launched.
International architecture competition 2007 The aim of the
architecture competition is to initiate the debate and to generate an
executable plan for a public space. The competition focuses on the
function, use and structure of the public space and the related role
and responsibility of architecture and urban development.
The international architecture competition of 2007 is a competition
organized by an independent organization to generate executable
projects. This gives the opportunity for an open debate including
different parties and the exchange skills and knowledge. A summer
school will be organized to set the framework for this contest. During
this summer school, groups of national and international students will
investigate several potential public spaces and choose one of the
spaces for purpose of the competition.
A network of Lebanese and Dutch professionals involved in Studio
Beirut, guarantees a high quality of this summer school and contest.
Studio Beirut together with Archis, Partizan Publik and Pearl already realized the following projects:
Lebanon Unbuilt, November 2006, 'fact finding mission'In
November 2006, several Lebanese architects and artists, in
collaboration with Dutch organizations (Archis, Partizan Publik and
Pearl Foundation), organized a research expedition on the “come back”
of Lebanon under the title “Lebanon Unbuilt”.
The use and function of the public space (physical, intellectual and
virtual space) in Lebanon was the focus. The platform aimed at mapping
out the core challenges and suggested viable solutions to the Lebanese
community. In searching for ways of creating meeting places in the
public space, the initiators and participants sought to question the
exclusive claim and use of the public space and thereby contested the
demarcations between the various groups in society.
Lebanon Unbuilt proved that an open debate to which different parties
contribute is of great value. It was also concluded that not only the
debate is valuable because it brings different parties together in the
discussion but it also works as a catalysor for a think and action tank.
Lebanon Unbuilt was the start of the establishment of Studio Beirut: a
think and action tank of people who want to contribute to projects for
development of the public space and improvement of the quality of urban
life.
The establishment of Studio Beirut – a project of the initiators of
Lebanon Unbuilt – forms the base for a structural follow up of the
debate and the think and action tank.
Pearls for Lebanon, 6 March 2007 in De Balie in AmsterdamThe
initiators of Studio Beirut organized a conference on March 6, 2007,
named Pearls for Lebanon. During Pearls for Lebanon the plan for Studio
Beirut and its first projects were presented for different possible
cooperating Dutch organizations.
The cooperation in Lebanon with amongst others Dutch organizations is
highly appreciated, not only in terms of contributions and experience,
but also because of the progressive approach of these organizations and
more importantly the absence of historical and political connotation,
which is important for a more social and independent effort.
NOISE 0-edition published in Volume 12 # Cities Unbuilt
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