to Rooftops

2021/ Public Project Gemmayze, Beirut

This public project accommodates residents whose neighborhood happens to fall on a long set of stairs in Gemmayzeh. This project addresses the accessibility difficulties the elder residents face. More importantly, the pocketted site regains its exposure to the main street, thus revitalizing businesses and opening the opportunity to decentralize from outside Vendome

/Rising to Rooftops

Building functions on Vendome

Access Points and Street Connections

Rooftops of Buildings on Vendome

Concept

Personal Accounts of Residents Problems of Vendome on Urban and Residential Scales

Safest spot on the stairs is on Armenia St.; however, literring and abusing the space is a common theme

Very difficult to bring groceries up. Additional fees are charged on delivery service

Cafe 961 is welcoming with lights; however after hours the space is abused

Very Dark during the night: its unsafe and unwelcoming

The establishment of a 3x3m grid was crucial in understanding the space. It allowed for the definition of a language between the stairs’ landings, the buildings’ rooftops, and the field of the vision of pedestrains on each landing. The intervention aims at uninterrupting pedestrains’ and residents’ views. Moreover, residents would benefit from the accessibility features of the intervention. The staircase would morph into a more lively area, and given the current economic situation of Lebanon, the residents would have the opportunity to put their rooftops to better, financially-generating uses. This allows the introduction of sub-urban cultivation in the city of Gemmayze.