Faqra Restaurant
Located at the foot of the ski slopes in Faqra Country Club, Mount Lebanon, the project transforms an existing seasonal facility into an all-year restaurant, bar and social destination. Surrounded by 360-degree views of the ski slopes, mountains and Mediterranean Sea, the architecture responds directly to the landscape and changing seasons.
The existing structure, originally accommodating the ski lift facilities and a snack bar, is retained as the starting point of the intervention. A new volume is introduced alongside it, with the spaces between the two structures becoming outdoor areas for gathering and leisure.
The project is organized around a continuous, publicly accessible slope that emerges from the landscape and rises toward the roof. Rather than treating the roof as a conventional building surface, it becomes an extension of the terrain—a social landscape containing a 360-degree bar, lounges, informal seating, bleachers and spaces for events. A bridge connects the existing building with the new volume, creating a continuous circulation loop between the two.
Below, the restaurant establishes a more direct relationship with the ski slopes and accommodates up to 130 guests during winter. Large sliding façade panels can be opened during warmer months, dissolving the boundary between interior and exterior and transforming the restaurant into a shaded pavilion within the landscape.
The main volume facing the ski slopes also becomes a projection surface, allowing the exterior space to accommodate screenings and informal gatherings.
Materiality reinforces the relationship between architecture and landscape. HPL wood panels wrap the principal volume and give the project a unified architectural expression, while reflective surfaces, perforated metal mesh and concrete floors introduce contrasting textures within the restaurant.
The project transforms a seasonal ski facility into a year-round social landscape, where architecture, circulation and topography merge into a continuous experience.
