Bernard Khoury is one of Lebanon’s most sought after architects, and now he has built his own home – a rooftop penthouse bam smack in the middle of Beirut.
With so much construction and so little thoughtful urban planning, Beirut has become what many call a ‘concrete jungle’ – a mismatch of old dilapidated buildings and new construction competing for what little space is left in the crowded Mediterranean City.
This is the city so much of Khoury’s most popular work has emerged, and now, finally, he has made it the resting spot for him and his family.
Brownbook contributor John Burns writes: “Having designed the building himself, Khoury – arguably Lebanon’s most sought-after architect – framed the city he repeatedly describes as having been ‘cannibalised’, ‘ravaged’ and ‘ruined’ by rapid property development with a 12 metre-high, wall to wall window in the main room of his apartment, inviting his beloved urban portrait to take pride of place.”
That same window brings plenty of natural light into the three story home, which is comprised of an entry level where most of the home’s functions are situation – including the kitchen and dining area, a mezzanine area for his two children, and a third autonomous room for guests that leads out to rooftop terrace and swimming pool.
Related: Reconstructed refugee camp in Lebanon
While Khoury typically is not concerned with interiors, in this case he designed much of the furniture as well, including a stunning long dining room table akin to a farmhouse design, except significantly more modern.
A leather swing overlooks the bustling city below, and elaborate étagères on either end of the reception area were crafted by a local artisan. It is this that particularly interested us about this otherwise not-very-green million dollar home.
“I worked with an artisan who used to work with both my grandfather and my father – an old man with a great knowledge of wood,” Khoury tells Brownbook.
“I’m a big advocate of trying to reconnect with local artisans wherever you are across the planet when trying to design and build.”
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
