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03 Bayt K–Handle With Care, 2017-2019 Architecture

Restructuring of A Traditional Lebanese House

Footprint 1300 M2

Area 1,000 M2

Ongoing

Built in the 19th century for a prominent Lebanese family in the final decades of the Ottoman Empire, arranged over 3 floors, the property has 1000 m2 floor space, with an enclosed 700 m2 garden to the rear. The ground floor is comprised of open-fronted shops, which would traditionally have been rented out to merchants, with the family residing in the two spacious stories overlooking the street and gardens below.

The architectural interventions consist of three main elements of works:

1– Consolidation
As the most urgent action to be taken in order to save the remains of this architectural heritage especially after the collapse of the southern façade called LIWAN directly propped with its pitched roof by a dense scaffolding.

2– Architecture – Reconstruction
This scaffolding has led the architect to rethink the reconstruction of that fallen volume.

Traditionally, the noble façade was on the northern side overlooking the sea and the merchant street of Beirut while the southern one was the back yard with no architectural attention.
Nowadays, the street has become very noisy and overbuilt with no sea view.

Therefore, the inhabitants of today prefer the southern, sunnier and calmer side animated by the newly added elements (in red): like the rooftop workshop, the golden fire escape stairwell and the footbridge emerging from the LIWAN leading to the Roman pool which runs all along the neighboring stone wall.

The architect has rebuilt the LIWAN as a full glass volume opening onto the rear garden and revealing the traditional triple arcade hidden once behind the old stone southern façade.
In order to join the two separate floors of olden times internally, the architect has created a void filled with a bookstair installation.

3– Conservation / Restoration
Ornamented ceilings, walls and floors of this big house are the subject of this third element finding a balance between a full restoration and conservation.

The original fabric should be clearly identified without damaging the legibility of the new architectural composition.

PRESS

Within the historical and colorful district of Gemmayzeh in Beirut, Annabel Karim Kassar (AKK) Architects has undertaken the careful restoration of a traditional 19th-century building dating back to 1870.

Screen Shot 2022-11-18 at 6.39.42 PM

PRESS

Annabel Karim Kassar is rescuing traditional Lebanese architecture to show how the past and present can seamlessly co-exist in the face of the modernisation that is sweeping through Beirut.

BK High Res 3

PRESS

BAYT K was first presented at Beirut Design Week 2017 as part of AKK Architects’ Handle with Care exhibition, which announced plans for the full restoration of the building, retaining the original features while transforming it into a contemporary family home.

PRESS

Bayt K is under restoration by AKK Architects in an effort to conserve endangered architecture in Lebanon – and their ongoing work is up for an award.

190416_Bayt Kassar_Final

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10

Le Diamant Jalila

[Material]

Acrylic

[Dimensions]

d. 1000mm  th. 310mm

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La Diamant Jalila is a cristalline structure with 400 cut faces designed to trap light and redistribute it through a myriad of reflections, adding textured illumination to a space.

21

Viseur

[Material]

Aluminium iridescent colors

[Dimensions]

L. 300mm w. 50mm h.150mm

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Viseur is an iridescent reflective surface.

03

Marrakesh

[Material]

Acrylic

[Type]

Seat, Bench

[Dimensions]

L. 49cm  w. 45cm  h. 45cm

L. 98cm  w. 45cm  h. 45cm

L. 147cm  w. 45cm  h. 45cm

L. 196cm  w. 45cm  h. 45cm

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Bench, available in one seater, two seater, three seater and four seater
Acrylic color: transparent, opaque, fluorescent

04

Diamond Table

[Material]

Wood with polycarbonate

[Type]

Side table, Dining table

[Dimensions]

d. 50cm  h. 60cm

d. 40cm  h. 85cm

d. 80cm  h. 40cm

d. 110cm  h. 72cm

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A contemporary twist on the traditional middle Eastern coffee tables, the wood base is finished with polycarbonate mirror cladding.

05

Floating Market Table

[Material]

Wood and Metal

[Type]

Dining table

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Dining table formed of three parts, lacquered wood top on painted metal base.

06

Full Stop Table

[Material]

Wood and Metal

[Type]

Side table

[Dimensions]

d. 35cm  h. 55cm

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Side table with lacquered wood top and metal base.

07

Moucharabieh Table

[Material]

Wood and Metal

[Type]

Table

[Dimensions]

d. 70cm  h. 72cm

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Circular table, laser cut top and metal base.

08

Not a Harem

[Material]

Wood and Metal

[Type]

Side table

[Dimensions]

L. 45cm  w. 45cm  h. 40cm

L. 35cm  w. 35cm  h. 33cm

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Not a Harem small side tables with a black metallic base covered by a top with an Oriental motif influenced by Moorish and crusade patterned tiles imprinted on canvas. The side tables are decorated with burnished studs.

09

Tennis Table

[Material]

Polycarbonate

[Type]

Coffee table

[Dimensions]

L. 80cm  w. 40cm  h. 42cm

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Coffee table, polycarbonate body, fluorescent tennis ball supports
Color: Black, white or transparent

12

Trophee

[Material]

Resin

[Dimensions]

L. 820mm  w. 670mm  h. 960mm

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Limited edition wall mounted lighting fixture. Hand-moulded polyester clear resin.

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Desk Draw

[Material]

Polycarbonate

[Type]

Desk

[Dimensions]

L. 120cm  w. 60cm  h. 74cm

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Clear polycarbonate desk on trestles with clear or grey fume polycarbonate top and drawers.

13

Splashing Drop

[Material]

Steel, Epoxy powder coated

[Dimensions]

L. 135mm  w. 86mm  h. 111mm

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Product Detail Sheet

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Table, pendant or wall mounted lighting fixture with perforated metal casing
Color: Steel, black, white, pearl gold or super gold

14

Kbox Light

[Material]

Acrylic

[Dimensions]

L. 500mm  w. 500mm  h. 300mm

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Product Detail Sheet

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Acrylic box suspension
Acrylic finish: plain acrylic diffuser, acrylic diffuser with adhesive vinyl patterns or laser cut acrylic diffuser

15

Fractale

[Material]

Silver acrylic, Inox

[Dimensions]

Variable

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Fractale is an articulated reflector surface with variable dimensions depending on design and installation.

16

Cristal

[Material]

Pmma cristal, Aluminum anodized

[Dimensions]

L. 100mm 1. 90mm h. 200mm

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Cristal is a prismatic crystal volume that traps the light reflection and intensifies it. The combination of diverse dimensions in the shaping of the volume produces a mysterious distortion in the appearance of the object.

17

Deflex

[Material]

Acrylic

[Dimensions]

L. 990mm w.384mm h.84mm

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Deflex is a translucent suspension made of a frosted acrylic shade and equipped with 2 fluorescent T5 circle fluorescent bulbs supply by 2 electronic ballast. Deflex exist in 2 versions: dimmable and not dimmable.

18

Fly

[Material]

Steel, Epoxy powder coated

[Dimensions]

L. 1486mm w. 403mm h. 34mm

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Fly is a flat fluorescent suspension equipped with a diffracting optical light film or with a spreading film.

19

Laura

[Material]

Acrylic dichroic mirror, Bracket steel nickeled

[Dimensions]

L. 1200mm w. 353mm h.1200mm

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Laura is is an articulated dichroïc reflector.

20

O.V.N.I.

[Material]

Acrylic diffuser

[Dimensions]

L. 600mm w. 600mm h.306mm

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O.V.N.I. from the sky, for the home.

02

Mezzer Tray

[Material]

Acrylic

[Type]

Tray

[Dimensions]

L. 37cm  w. 22cm

L. 45cm  w. 40cm

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Engraved acrylic tray
Color: fluorescent, opaque or transparent 

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11

Stocking Light

[Material]

Acrylic

[Dimensions]

L. 350mm  w. 350mm  h. 400mm

L. 350mm  w. 350mm  h. 825mm

L. 350mm  w. 350mm  h. 1240mm

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Suspension or free standing
Cover: Knitted, crochet or printed fabric
Three sizes: one sphere, two spheres, three spheres