The Association for the Promotion and Exhibition of the Arts in Lebanon (APEAL) has revealed the shortlist for an architectural design competition to build a new “modern and contemporary” art museum in the heart of Beirut, Lebanon.
The contest was open to architects of Lebanese origin from around the globe, and 66 submissions from 16 countries were received. These were whittled down to a final shortlist of 13, who are now invited to enter the second stage of the competition. The winner will be announced in Q4 2016.
APEAL is a non-profit organisation dedicated to showcasing and encouraging Lebanese artists by projecting their artwork on a larger platform. In a statement the group pledged the museum will be “one of the most significant developments for Lebanese art and culture in a generation.”
Scheduled to open in 2020, the museum is envisioned by APEAL as a multidisciplinary hub of art and design, and its collections and exhibitions are being developed “with the aim of bringing together diverse populations and narratives from the region and beyond.”
The building will be situated across from the National Museum in the centre of Beirut and located a few miles from David Adjaye’s terracotta-red art museum the Aishti Foundation. It will be an anchor along Beirut's new 'museum mile', home to the National Museum and Museum of Lebanese Prehistory, the Mineral Museum (MiM), Beit Beirut (House of Beirut), and Metropolis Center.
The site is owned by Saint Joseph University, and the design competition challenged the architects to consider how the museum's design can actively integrate with the surrounding environment while remaining functional and adaptable in a 2,780sq m area.
The competition jury includes renowned international figures from the world of architecture. It is being overseen by Lord Peter Palumbo, chair of the Pritzker Prize, and includes Richard Rogers, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Julia Peyton-Jones, Fares Al Dahdah and George Arbid.
Until her recent passing, Zaha Hadid was also a jury member. APEAL said it was honoured to have worked with her and pledged that it would uphold her memory through the culmination of the project.
Palumbo praised the stage one submissions as “strong and varied" and said the panel was impressed with the quality of design teams involved. “The finalist will be an exceptional architect who identifies with the project values and understands the significance of designing a cultural institution in the current urban, social, economic and political context of the country and region," he added.
The full shortlist is listed in alphabetical order below:
• 109 Architectes s.a.r.l.
• Bernard Khoury / DW5
• Hashim Sarkis Studios, LLC
• HW architecture
• ibda design
• IDC / Verner Johnson / ETEC SA
• L.E.FT Architects
• Lina Ghotmeh / DGT Architects
• Najjar Najjar Architect
• Raëd Abillama Architects / Nadim Khattar
• WORK Architecture Company (WORKac)
• Yatsu Chahal Architects (YCa) / Said Jazari Consulting Office (SJCO)
• Youssef Tohme Architects and Associates (YTAA)
In the coming months the museum will announce its official name, details about its collections and programming, and its curatorial staff. The search for a founding director is currently underway.
Funding for the project will be raised predominantly from private donations.
