Electric Bing Sutt

Electric Bing Sutt is an all-day restaurant and bar in Gemmayzeh, Beirut, conceived as a contemporary reinterpretation of the Hong Kong–inspired speakeasy eatery. Located within a historic 1920s building, the project engages directly with the vibrant street life of one of Beirut's most distinctive neighborhoods.

The venue's long façade opens toward the street, creating a porous threshold between interior and exterior. Existing windows were enlarged to maximize natural light and visual connection, while a continuous bench along the façade transforms the building edge into an inhabitable social space. The intervention creates a transitional zone where the restaurant, sidewalk and neighborhood overlap.

Inside, the space is organized into three principal zones. A central bar faces the entrance and anchors the project, with a dining area on one side and a more informal lounge on the other. Each zone maintains a direct relationship with the open façade and the activity of the street.

Rather than erasing the character of the existing building, the design preserves its original wooden ceiling and stone walls as the architectural backdrop for a new contemporary layer. A light-grey concrete floor, glass blocks, gold metal cladding, terrazzo tables and stainless-steel mesh furniture deliberately contrast with the historic fabric, allowing old and new to remain clearly legible.

Folding chairs, ceiling fans, neon lighting and pastel green accents establish the identity of Electric Bing Sutt. A pink neon sign in Chinese calligraphy transforms the dining area after dark, bathing the space in red light and shifting its atmosphere from an informal daytime restaurant to an intimate nighttime bar.

Electric Bing Sutt changes character throughout the day—from a naturally lit extension of Gemmayzeh's street life to an immersive red interior at night—using architecture, light and materiality to create two distinct experiences within the same space.