Sitting right in the middle of the war-swept Mediterranean coast of the Levant, with the scars of conflict and violence still visible in its urban tissue, the city of Beirut, despite all the difficulties it has faced, is now home to a flourishing design and architecture scene.

A perfect example of what the city’s design and crafts scene can indeed achieve is the N.B.K Residence 2 by architect Bernard Khoury and his firm, DW5. Literally perched atop a nine-storey building adjacent to the infamous Green Line (the dividing buffer zone that used to split the city into the West/Muslim and East/Christian parts), the residence is in fact the architect’s own home, and as such it reflects his continuous experimentations and accumulated experience in interior design techniques, all in close collaboration with local artisans and design specialists.

It is less a connected penthouse, and more of an independent home that happens to be perched atop a building — it almost appears detached, floating above the rest of the structure.

The first floor and a mezzanine comprise the main volume of the living areas (including a spectacular double-height lobby and living room with generous views to the city), while a guest house, maid’s room, swimming pool and roof-garden terrace are situated on the topmost level. Wooden panel cladding has been used to cover interior floors and walls, in a technique that comes from experimentations in previous projects and was executed in collaboration with carpenter Doumit Tannous. The strong presence of wood has been complemented with black-painted steelwork: the ribbon-like spiral staircase, the mezzanine structure, the bookshelves in the lobby and the signature antenna-lights on top of the building were all created by Beirut-based design studio Acid (especially the latter shine like beacons at night, making the residence stand out as a landmark in the surrounding area).

Expansive and unobstructed, the main living area makes a powerful impression through the mixed usage of wood cladding and black steelwork. In addition to a stunning private rooftop pool, the three levels of space include a kitchen and dining room, guest studio, additional bedrooms, a floor-to-ceiling library, and separate quarters for all your various live-in staff.

The current owner, a Italian businessman who lives there with his wife for three months a year, purchased the building in 2005. Abandoned by the clergy in 1960, the building changed its identity several times: it was a dance studio, a woodworking shop and a photographer’s atelier.The former prayer hall, built for the followers of the Protestant movement founded around 1740 by the Anglican clergyman John Wesley, however, dates back to 1854 and recorded in the register of national monuments. It is located near the urban area occupied until the seventies by the notorious District Six, evacuated and razed by the apartheid regime.

Perry Harrison-Hyde, an architect commissioned to adapt the building, preserved its authentic atmosphere and created modern, unpretentious, functional interiors. Retaining original heritage of the building reqired removing all the changes done by the previous owners. For example, scraping off several layers of paint, accumulated over a long period of time, revealed beautiful wooden floor.

Sharp contast between raw, authentic architecture of the building and well balanced mixture of furniture styles makes the interiors absolutely unique. Rustic floors and white cabinets in the kitchen correspond with gothic-style, arched windows. Metal chairs and lamps work as contrasting elements. Avant-garde art pieces add colour and spice up the white, airy, breathing interiors.

In effect, we created a wall-less 900m penthouse, with a garden, that gives the impression of levitating above the city mass. We created a continual flow from zone to zone, utilising materials that emphasised the sense of space, transparency and reflection. We introduced organic textural/tactile elements through the use of timber and flamed granite to soften and add a counterpoint to the contemporary drama.

via desiretoinspire.net

via Freshome.com – Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter