We Design Beirut 2nd edition celebrates all things design. The event is coming back from October 22nd to October 26th. The event celebrates all things design. It honors and promotes the design, culture, and creativity set right in the heart of Lebanon. The event aims to rebirth Lebanon’s rich culture and design. It brings together designers, artisans, and students for five days of a special experience.
We Design Beirut 2nd Edition
We Design Beirut returns for its 2nd edition, celebrating all things design. The event is running from October 22nd to October 26th. The five-day event celebrates and promotes the rich design, culture, and creativity of Lebanon. Set in some of Lebanon’s most historically and architecturally significant and valuable monuments. The event aims to revive Lebanon’s century-old cultural and architectural legacies through a range of showcases and exhibitions, designers’ showcases, installations, panel talks, excursions, and workshops.
Lebanon’s Historical Legacy
This year’s edition dives into themes of legacy, revival, and continuity. Set against the backdrop of fifty years of war, the event aims to stage a cultural renaissance. Honouring and preserving the historical significance of monuments, crafts, heritage sites, musical and artistic traditions, and reinstating their influence for future generations. The event continues to evolve with a focus on commemorating both individuals and monuments. The opening night will have a homage to Lebanon’s greatest Oud maker, Nazih Al Ghadban, in collaboration with the founder & Music Director of National Arab Orchestra, Michael Ibrahim, with guest artist Mirna Mallouhi.
The Abroyan Factory
We Design Beirut, 2nd edition, features eight exhibitions in five locations and four panel talks. At the first location, the Abroyan Factory, two Craft Exhibitions pay homage to Lebanon’s craftsmanship heritage through Threads of Life, a textile arts exhibition, and Métiers d’Art, an atelier pairing artists with expert designers. Moreover, the factory will also host Skin of a City exhibition by Patrick Baz and Anthony Saroufim, two Lebanese photographers, exploring liberated expression through the human body.
Burj El Murr
The Design “In” Conflict youth-led exhibition set in Burj El Murr, the second location, created by Archifeed founders Teymour Khoury and Yasmina Mahmoud. The exhibition explores how conflict forms space and form by students from nine different Lebanese universities.
Villa Audi
The third location, Villa Audi, will exhibit the design exhibition titled “Totems of the Present and the Absent”, created by Gregory Gatserelia, which pays tribute to SMO Gallery, that is founded by Gatserelia.
The Roman Baths
The Roman Baths, the fourth location, will present Water and Stone. It’s a marble design exhibition by Nour Osseiran and produced and sponsored by Stones by Rania Malli, one of the region’s largest and most respected marble manufacturers.
Immeuble de l’Union
We Design Beirut will spotlight Immeuble de l’Union, the last and fifth location. Immeuble de l’Union is a 1950s modernist landmark in Sanayeh, which is undergoing a renovation by Karim Nader. The renovation reflects Beirut’s evolution and urban transformation. It will host two exhibitions. The first exhibition is “Union—A Journey of Light” by Karim Nader and architectural lighting design studio Atelier33. The second exhibition is “Rising with Purpose,” dedicated to showcasing young talent under the age of 30, offering a fresh take on Lebanese design.
The Bus Tour
In addition, the program will contain a bus tour of 49 modern architectural buildings around Beirut. It is created by architect & professor Dr. Omar Harb, founder of Modern Architecture from Lebanon. The event will also include a tour to Tripoli and the Saloua Raouda Choucair Foundation. Moreover, ALBA (Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts | University of Balamand) is collaborating with We Design Beirut, offering exhibitions, screenings, seminars, talks, and workshops.
We Design Beirut
Anchored in the three pillars of empowerment, preservation, and sustainability. We Design Beirut encapsulates ‘WE’ by facilitating collaborations and partnerships among designers, artisans, students, architects, and educators, a harmony of creative talents. Moreover, it sets the foundation for connection and engagement, exchanging ideas and techniques. It serves as an international showcase of the region’s innovative and creative expression. We Design Beirut, 2nd edition, comes back, celebrating all things design. The event is coming back from October 22nd to October 26th. , continuing its aim at expanding vision and diving deeper into the rich tapestry of culture, craft, architecture, and design.