In order to house Momo at the Souks, a close work relationship was established with famous restaurateur Mourad Mazouz in order to transform a building initially intended to house offices into a space that stretches on four levels and opens onto surrounding terraces and lush hanging gardens.

The spaces, architecture, interior design, detailing, landscaping as well as the lighting design are all the products of collaboration between members of talented and multi-disciplinary teams of craftsmen and suppliers, who operate both locally and internationally.

Structurally, the project is conceived to mirror the city of Beirut by embracing the authentic and the unexpected, the familiar and the dazzling, the traditional and the contemporary.

Overlooking Zawiyat Ibn Irak Shrine in the old but refurbished Gold Souk, Momo at the Souks is built in a part of the city where layers of history, present and future, coexist and overlap.

Spatial perspectives, openings and windows all contribute to creating visual continuity within the project. The false ceiling enhances the visual fluidity and ties the concept together giving coherence to the venue by spanning over the totality of the 900 square-meter area. It is read against the simple plain resin-flooring cast as one surface uniting the restaurant and the café, creating a dynamic dialogue.

With a seating capacity of 85 persons, the restaurant is vibrant, the walls are rendered by hand-painted – effectuated on-site during one month – on Cordoue embossed wallpaper and colorful fabrics imprint the space with a strong visual dynamism. The fabrics were brought in from Italy, and the textiles were embroidered in Morocco.
The restaurant opens up to the private gardens through wide glass bays that can be completely opened. The bays allow natural light to enter the space and thus connect to the exterior terraces, creating frames from which a rich Mediterranean landscape is perceived.

The café, located across the restaurant area, with its sloping tilted entrance door opens up onto an out-of-scale bar built with bold and warm colors and materials. The walls and ceiling of the bar are clad with wood veneers, and the bar’s surface is made of copper. The café seats 85 persons and sets the stage for a different kind of experience. The exterior terraces are hanging gardens. They are intimate hideaways wrapped in lush and verdant enclosures where people can enjoy their meals whilst overlooking the souks.

Momo at the souks is designed as a place that embraces the city in 360 degrees, and yet the city embraces it as well, right in the center and in the heart of it.