Bir Hassan Complex

Student:Mohammad Al Ayoubi
Area:- m²
Category:UnderGraduated Project
Concept:Sustainability, Functional
Year:2022-2023
Location:Lebanon
Type:Residential, Touristic
University:LU

The Urban Rooftop Oasis Project is conceived as an innovative intervention that transforms an underutilized supermarket rooftop into a vibrant public destination within the dense urban fabric of Beirut. Its vision is to introduce a sustainable, livable, and socially active environment above the city, offering relief from the surrounding congestion. Located near Ghbayreh Sports City, the site is strategically bounded by three roads, with a highway running along its eastern edge, giving it high visibility, accessibility, and a strong urban presence. The project positions itself as a contemporary urban landmark that reclaims unused infrastructure and reintegrates nature into the city.

The architectural concept is inspired by the biological structure of plant cells, where nutrients are stored within cells and fluids circulate through interconnected vessels. This natural logic becomes the symbolic and functional heart of the project. A network of sheltered walkways acts as connective vessels, linking a series of building clusters that resemble cellular forms in both shape and enclosure. These clusters accommodate a range of public programs, including cultural, agricultural, and commercial spaces, allowing the project to function as a multifunctional urban ecosystem. The buildings are wrapped in a rhomboid envelope system, with alternating open and closed panels that regulate light, ventilation, and visual permeability.

Movement through the project is organized along fluid horizontal pathways, guiding users across the rooftop while creating continuous visual and spatial connections between the clusters. Transitional shaded corridors and semi-open spaces soften the experience between built and open areas, enhancing comfort and interaction. As a whole, the project embodies a living urban organism—one that merges architecture, nature, and public life. Through its biological inspiration, adaptive form, and layered program, the rooftop oasis redefines sustainable urban living and establishes a distinctive architectural identity within Beirut’s dense cityscape.