BeMa: Beirut Museum of Art

The site for the Museum is centrally located in the heart of the city, at the site where the civil war's demarcation lines once stood, along two vital arteries that bring diverse communities together. The plot of land is owned by Université Saint Joseph (plot no. 4781 in Achrafieh). A long-term lease agreement has been signed with USJ for the development of the Museum on a portion of the plot, with future educational and residential facilities for the USJ campus to be developed on the remainder of the plot.

The project scope will include: 1) master planning of the overall site including USJ campus and 2) design of the modern and contemporary art museum on a portion of the site. The site has a total of 12,603 square meters, 2,780 sq. m. of which will be dedicated to the Museum. The site master plan will include new campus facilities for Université Saint Joseph a business center and the modern and contemporary art Museum with shared landscaped common areas and underground parking.

The Museum requires a design that has architectural integrity and presence, and which responds to the strategic location of the site and its confluence of diverse communities. The design should maximize external spaces to create synergy between the university and museum programs as well as a to provide respite from the surrounding vibrant cityscape.

The Museum building will encompass between 10,000 and 12,000 square meters of gross space, in addition to the shared underground parking and outdoor spaces. It is envisioned that the Museum program will comprise flexible exhibition and performance spaces in addition to extensive community and education spaces, conservation and storage, digital and archive center, along with family amenities. Given the location of the museum in proximity to USJ facilities, the commercial areas such as food and beverage or retail will be accessible and open to non-Museum visitors.

The overall master plan and the design of the Museum will respond to the developing pedestrian corridor adjacent to the site and incorporate innovation in energy, transportation and preservation of natural resources. The Museum will operate as a stand-alone facility on the site with administration, operations, security and management on-site.

The Museum will be a dynamic contemporary place true to its social and cultural responsibilities. It will acknowledge the historic significance of the site and its adjoining institutions, providing a connective fabric across the city's divide.

The budget of the project will reflect international standards of exhibition, storage and conservation, as well as the stature of the building.