Batroun Square

KEY ISSUES:

Batroun Square is strategically positioned at the intersection of Batroun’s commercial strip, historic old city and coastline, acting as an urban node within a fragmented urban fabric. The project responds to these contrasting conditions through a podium and a composition of articulated volumes, mediating between different scales, streets and views. At roof level, panoramic views across the old city, sea and mountains reinforce the building’s relationship with the wider landscape of Batroun.

CONCEPT:

Located at the intersection of Batroun’s emerging commercial strip, historic old city and coastal road, the project is conceived as a contemporary mixed-use development capable of responding to several distinct urban conditions.

Rather than treating the 13,500 sqm development as a single large volume, the building is broken down into four articulated blocks rising above a continuous podium. Each block is oriented toward a particular view and responds individually to its program and position, while together they form a coherent architectural composition in dialogue with the city.

The ground floor and mezzanine occupy the full footprint of the site, accommodating 11 retail units with maximum exposure to the surrounding streets. Above, three office blocks and one hotel block are organized around a flexible structural grid that allows the volumes to shift and rotate in response to their surroundings. Breaking down the overall mass into smaller components brings the project closer to the scale and morphology of Batroun while creating a more dynamic relationship with the surrounding streets.

At roof level, a bar and pool frame panoramic views of the Mediterranean, the mountains and Batroun’s historic center. Conceived as an elevated observatory, the rooftop establishes a visual connection between the building and the different layers of the town.

Batroun Square does not attempt to imitate the traditional architecture of its context. Instead, it responds to Batroun through scale, orientation, movement and urban relationships. The cluster of contemporary volumes creates a distinct identity while connecting the commercial strip, the old city and the coastline—positioning the project as a new urban landmark within the evolving fabric of Batroun.