The Learning Loop — Urban Media Library
An urban media library redefining learning as an experiential loop.
Project Info
Client: Municipality of Beirut
Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Year: 2018
Type: Cultural / Media Library
Role: Design Architect
Stages: Concept & Schematic Design
Scope:
Urban media library concept design, spatial sequencing, architectural massing, circulation strategy, façade treatment, and experiential public space definition.
Main arrival courtyard articulating the villa’s public heart, defined by stepped terraces, timber screens, and water reflections creating a calm spatial threshold.
Step-by-step massing strategy exploring site subdivision, courtyard carving, solar control, and spatial sequencing to generate the final library form.
Longitudinal section revealing terraced floor plates, central atrium, and vertical circulation structuring the Media Library’s continuous learning loop.
Double-height learning atrium connecting balconies, bridges, and staircases, enabling natural daylight penetration and visual connectivity between knowledge-sharing levels.
View into the inner garden where vertical timber fins, glazed facades, and planted courts establish privacy, shade, and visual continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Project Overview
The Learning Loop is a conceptual media library and cultural learning hub envisioned as a new civic anchor in Beirut. The project reimagines the traditional library as an open, flowing environment where knowledge discovery is structured through movement, interaction, and spatial continuity.
• Public media library and community learning center
• Architecture structured as a continuous experiential loop
• Civic landmark promoting culture and education
Spatial Strategy
The building is organized as a continuous circulation ribbon that loops vertically and horizontally, connecting reading spaces, exhibition zones, media labs, and gathering areas. Rather than static rooms, learning unfolds through a sequence of open platforms, terraces, and visual connections.
• Continuous loop circulation linking all programs
• Gradual transitions between quiet and active zones
• Visual connectivity across levels and spaces
Design Integration
Architecture, structure, and light are composed as one integrated system, using curved surfaces, perforated envelopes, and controlled daylight to shape atmosphere and orientation. The spatial loop becomes both structure and wayfinding, guiding visitors intuitively through the building.
• Curved structural shell defining spatial identity
• Perforated roof and façade filtering daylight
• Architecture itself acting as navigation device
Outcome
The proposal establishes a contemporary civic environment where movement becomes a tool for learning, social exchange, and exploration. The Learning Loop offers a flexible, future-oriented framework capable of evolving with changing media, technology, and community needs.
• Experiential learning environment
• Strong architectural identity for a civic institution
• Adaptable spatial framework for future growth