MUSEUM OF HISTORY & ART
A contemporary museum concept integrating history, art, and public life within Beirut’s urban fabric.
Project Info
Client: Concept Proposal
Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Year: 2021
Scale: Cultural museum and public plaza
Role: Architectural Concept Lead
Scope: Concept design, spatial strategy, architectural massing, visitor experience sequencing
Public arrival sequence approaching the museum’s elevated entrance terrace, reinforcing monumentality and civic accessibility.
Aerial massing proposal establishing the museum as a cultural anchor within Beirut’s urban fabric, framed by a public plaza and civic forecourt.
Sectional cut illustrating the internal circulation loop, vertical atrium, and layered exhibition spaces organized around a central void.
Shaded public plaza beneath the perforated structural canopy, creating a transitional civic gathering space before entering the museum.
Continuous looped gallery space illuminated by circular roof perforations, guiding visitors through a sequence of exhibition platforms.
Curved interior ramp and vertical atrium enabling intuitive navigation across levels while maintaining visual connectivity between galleries.
Project Overview
The Museum of History & Art is conceived as a civic cultural anchor in Beirut, designed to host permanent and temporary exhibitions while creating an accessible public destination. The project required a spatial concept that balances architectural clarity with experiential storytelling, allowing visitors to navigate history and art through a sequence of interior and exterior spaces.
• Cultural landmark and public gathering space
• Exhibition volumes organized around shared courtyards
• Public realm integrated with museum circulation
Spatial Strategy
The museum is structured as a sequence of interconnected pavilions arranged around open-air courtyards, forming a clear visitor journey from arrival to exhibition to public plaza. Circulation is choreographed through layered thresholds, transitioning between city, landscape, and gallery spaces.
• Processional visitor path from plaza to galleries
• Hierarchy of open, semi-open, and enclosed spaces
• Clear zoning of public, exhibition, and service areas
Design Integration
Architecture and landscape are developed as a unified system, using restrained materiality and soft geometries to frame exhibition spaces without overpowering them. Natural light, shading devices, and controlled openings shape the interior atmosphere and reinforce spatial orientation.
• Architecture embedded within landscape layers
• Material palette reflecting local context
• Light and shadow used as experiential guides
Outcome
The proposal delivers a calm and legible museum environment where architecture supports content, public life, and cultural identity. The resulting framework offers flexibility for curatorial change while establishing a strong sense of place within Beirut’s evolving urban landscape.
• Strong cultural identity rooted in context
• Intuitive visitor experience across galleries
• Adaptable framework for evolving exhibitions