The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lebanon invites practicing architects to compete in an international architectural competition organized under the auspices of the International Union of Architects for the construction of the House of Arts and Culture. It is a one stage, anonymous project competition.
Description:
” The House of Arts and Culture (the Lebanese-Omani Centre) will be a space for cultural and artistic production, for exchange and interaction between the largest number of Lebanese and especially the youth. It will be an independent space with the aim to contribute to social communication and cultural expansion and to promote creativity in different fields of art and culture.
Therefore, the Centre should attract a large number of Lebanese every day of the year. Its public should be diverse and go beyond the few “regulars” that attend theatre halls, exhibitions or other cultural centres spread in Beirut and the country.
To achieve this goal, the Centre should be a free space of artistic expression with no boundaries. Its functions and agenda, multiple but equilibrated, should be open to all kinds of Art, including those that encourage interactivity between artists and their public, conferences, workshops, free initiatives, etc.” Tarek Mitri – Ministre of Culture
Goals & Objectives:
” The first of its kind in the capital city of Lebanon, the House holds an important responsibility: that of being the leading place in arts and culture. It should therefore assert itself in the international arena of arts and culture as an innovative structure, both in its concept and contents and in its architecture. It will resolutely be looking towards exploring the future of arts and culture and will encompass the use of modern technologies.
To do so, the House will be an active, productive place: far from remaining only a space for performances and exhibitions, it will encourage creativity in a process that will influence the minds and society. The House will therefore be clearly anchored in its Lebanese milieu and culture and cater for the international. It will attempt to project the Lebanese cultural creations in the international sphere.
To answer these needs the House will be accessible and highly visible. Its architecture and the dynamism and vitality of its programme and events would turn it into a magnet for the Lebanese and the Arabs. It will project Beirut in the art community and become a leading place of the Arab World. In this sense, it would reinforce the leading role of Beirut in the field of arts and culture. The House is not conceived as a museum; it will not house permanent collections. It will however host temporary national, regional and international exhibitions. Interactivity between the House, its visitors and the population at large is an essential process. Professionals, scientists, artists, will be invited to organize and lead workshops, conferences, forums, visits of exhibitions and other activities. The House will act as an incubator. It will provide training sessions, spaces and equipment to boost creativity and trans disciplinary exchanges. The vitality of the House should be reflected in its programme: the House is a machine, a plant that continuously produces a diversified offer to cater for the many. Its visit should be an enchantment and a pleasure. Rigidity, routine, conformity, static are to be banned from its functioning and from the presentation of its activities. The international architectural competition that is launched under the auspices of the International Union of Architects (UIA) is based on this concept and ideas for a program of functioning, of space uses and objectives.”
Jury Members:
The Jury of the international architectural competition is composed of nine members. They are:
- The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lebanon or his/her representative.
- The Representative of the Sultanate of Oman.
- The Representative of the Orders of Engineers and Architects of Lebanon
- The Representative of the Lebanese Company for the Development and Reconstruction of Beirut Central District (SOLIDERE)
- Ms. Magda Hosam Eldin Mostapha, Architect (Egypt), representative of the International Union of Architects (UIA)
- Mr. Suha Özkan, Architect, Historian and Theorist (Turkey)
- Ms. Momoyo Kaijima, Atelier Bow Wow (Japan)
- Ms. Izaskun Chinchilla, Architect (Spain)
- Mr. Okwui Enwezor (Nigeria), Dean of Academic Affairs and Senior Vice President at San Francisco Art Institute (USA).
Awards:
2nd Prize: USD 40,000
3rd Prize: USD 25,000
The winner of the first prize will be contracted for the architectural conception of the project and the production of the detailed preliminary design. He will be remunerated under the conditions of the Lebanese Syndicate of Engineers and Architects. The prize amount will be considered as an advance on his fees.
He/she will go into partnership with the engineering office appointed by the contest organizer. This office, in collaboration with the first prize winner, will be in charge of the technical works (structure, fluids, acoustics, project economy, etc) and the execution and the supervision of the works.
If the jury considers that the first prize winner is not able to carry on the project, the jury will ask him to go in partnership with an architect of his choice. The jury and the competition organizer should agree upon this architect. The competition organizer has the right to modify the project during its study phase with the consent of the prize winner.
Entry Fee:
250 USD
Entries:
A maximum 4 pages introduction text in A4 format + three Graphic documents in A1 format
Submission Address:
Att. International Architecture Competition for the House of Arts & Culture Office of His Excellency the Minister Lebanese Ministry of Culture
Hatab Building Madame Curie Street,
Verdun Beirut, LEBANON
Telephone: +961 (0) 1 756 310/11/12
Technical Secretariat: The Order of Engineers and Architects (Bir Hassan Area, Beit Al-Mouhandes Street, Beit Al-Mouhandes Bldg, P.O. Box 11-1010, Beirut – Lebanon)
Timetable:
29 September, 2008: Closure of submission and opening to competitors of restricted area of web site (18:00 Beirut time)
31 October, 2008: End of Submission of Questions (18:00 Beirut time)
15 November, 2008: Answers to questions sent to competitors
30 January, 2009: Last date for delivery or mailing of entries (18:00 Beirut time)
10 February, 2009: Last date for reception of entries (18:00 Beirut time)
16- 20 March, 2009: Meeting of the Jury in Beirut and announcement of results
Organizer:
Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lebanon
Att. International Architectural Competition for the House of Arts and Culture
Official Website:
http://houseofartsandculture.org/intro.html
Requesting info considering technical lot information such as:lot exploitation area… leagle elevation ratio … topographic plan ,preferable in (.dwg) format.
or just specify the concidered zone we must contact as competitors.
thank you
dear charbel,
you need to register to get this information and material. all necessary infos are available here: http://houseofartsandculture.org/intro.html
plz send to me ur information
where do i find the result of the competition “house of art and culture” in beirut?
well the results were announced today in a press conference. the results will be on Architecture Lab by tomorrow.
Italian Architect to Design Beirut Arts and Culture House
Culture Minister Tamam Salam announced Monday that an Italian architect, Alberto Catalano, has won the bid to design Beirut’s Arts and Culture House to be located in downtown Beirut.
“The idea of the Culture House in downtown Beirut is an old dream,” Salam said during his press conference at Forum de Beyrouth. He described the planned building to be a space for exhibitions and displays with halls adorned with art and items of cultural significance. The building will also include the National Cinema Library and public-friendly areas such as reception rooms, shopping areas, and a food court.
Salam thanked, among others, Prime Minister Fouad Saniora for his support of “the embodiment of this dream” and Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman for his contribution of $20 million to the project.
Alberto Catalano’s team received a $75,000 prize and will get a commission to complete the project. The Arts and Culture House is expected to be completed in 2013.
A panel of international jurors, assigned to judge the competition, received 753 initial entries from 63 countries, and 388 official project submissions.
Beirut, 24 Mar 09, 10:35
House of Art and Culture
A place of wing and gathering
See some images of arkhenspaces project
http://www.arkhenspaces.net/arkhenspacesbeir.html