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When a city embraces it paradoxesExploring the potential of public space under elevated highways: a case study in Bourj Hammoud, Beirut

Turkey

SyriaCyprus

Occupied Palestine-Israel

Egypt

Jordan

10425 km2 4 million

Lebanon

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Construction of elevated highways have promoted the development and growth of cities in acting as fast connective lines, bringing communities together and making traveling distances shorter. On the other hand, they have created undesirable left spaces underneath them, acting as physical and psychological barriers in the areas they pass through. These spaces can be defined as negative and awkward, characterized mainly by poor physical conditions. However, in a complex and post war city like Beirut, where public space and space itself are lacking, negative and lost spaces such as created by elevated highways provide possibilities of generating spaces that can accommodate people’s needs. Therefore, this thesis project will show how through the lens and medium of landscape architecture, these underside spaces present opportunities to introduce new and unique spaces for public usage and to improve the quality of everyday urban life. Among these spaces, the project focuses on the space/street located underneath the elevated highway of Bourj Hammoud, an eastern suburb in Beirut located along the “misery belt”. The method used was based on a research by design, where collecting data, analyzing literature reviews and case studies, performing field work, and testing design approaches were all interrelated steps in forming the contextual and conceptual framework of the project as well as the final design proposal. Through the design process of exploring and testing different design approaches, the main aim of the project was to change and transform the negative condition and image of the highway into a positive and attractive one. As a result, the final design proposal is based on intervening on the condition of the structure itself through simple design intervention, in the purpose of creating a flexible, enjoyable and adaptable space for public usage. The new image of the condition with the opportunities it presents in generating public usage reflects an approach on how to improve the quality of urban environments that are affected by the heavy infrastructure of our cities.

In Beirut, the concept of public space such as park or square is a lacking physical fact. Within a city of 1,5 million inhabitants there are only two main public spaces: An underdesign coastal promenade [The Corniche] and Pine park [Horsh Beirut] which more than half of it is closed to the public. Therefore, public and social life are all focused on the streets. Streets become the only available space that can accommodate public needs. The streets are used in a free, spontaneous and instant manner. People articulate them using their own means and ways: bringing chairs and tables to sit or play tawlé, using cars as seating areas or wandering around and meeting friends in cafés and restaurants.

After the 16 years of civil wars, Beirut went through an extensive reconstruction phase. However, the projects focused all on reviving the city and improving its urban conditions. Infrastructure projects took part in the reconstruction phase aiming mainly in serving the city center. These projects were carried out without any concern on their impact on the urban environments of other areas in the city.In fact, in contrast to the fast development of the city centre, almost all the peripheral areas [misery belt] of Beirut that present a patchwork of confessional, social, and economical fragments, became marginalized in regard to urban devel opments.The study area of the project [Bourj Hammoud] belongs to the misery belt.

Bourj Hammoud is an Armenian district located on the eastern coastal side of Beirut, 2 km of Central Beirut [within the misery belt], comprising highly populated and residential neighborhoods and an industrial area. It covers an area of 2 km2 and a population of almost 15,000. The area is crisscrossed by highways, turns its back on the sea, from which it reclaimed a few hectares of land [the dump site] and separated from Beirut by Beirut River on its western edge.The chosen site is a street [Yerevan street] located under the elevated highway of Bourj Hammoud between two different neighborhoods.

Tripoli

Damascus

Zahle

Sidon

Tyre

1.5 million

1.67 million200 thousands

117 thousands

100 thousands1.5 million+-

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palestine

mediterranean sea

Syria

Beirut

Impact of elevated highways on Urban Environments

Context

Study Area: Bourj Hammoud district

Post-war reconstruction projects

Brief History of Bourj Hammoud

General analysis of the area

Site selection_Space Under the elevated highway

Public spaces in Beirut

The project reflects an global issue concerning elevated highways and affecting many contemporary cities. Elevated highways could be seen as an archetype of modernity through their advanced technological structures and through their impact on the urban environment. Elevated highways were described as being the most to cause damage to the areas through which they pass- by blocking out light and air and bringing blight into the city through their great shadows on the ground and the noise of their traffic [Halprin1966], but also as the most structures to provide possibilities of being integrated within the city through the spaces they create underneath [Hormingo, Morita, 2004] In fact, elevated highways tend to disconnect neighborhoods, produce undesirable views, and act as physical and psychological barriers making the pedestrian experience unpleasant. [Trancik, 1986].

Public spaces in Bourj Hammoud

Public spaces in Beirut are lacking and the few existing ones require organization and centralization, especially in the outskirts or the suburbs. Elevated highways despite their advantages as fast connecting elements tend to create underneath spaces filled with instabilities, unclarity and uncertainty.The chosen case study reflects both problems: it is a public space/street in the suburbs of Beirut, located under an elevated highway.

Modernity archetype Fast connective lines Bringing communities together

Dominant structure within the urban fabric Divide local communities Act as physical and psychological barriersProduce undesirable views

Cause poor conditions to the spaces underneath by blocking light and airBring blight to the surrounding areas

Create undefined, unclear, fuzzy spaces that most of the time are misused.

The spaces become negative, undesirable and unwanted by the communities

Middle East_Lebanon Lebanon_Beirut

Beirut aerial view

Bourj Hammoud district

View of the highway between the buildings View of the street underneath the highway

Infrastructure dominance Demographic distribution _the district is divided into two neighborhoods based on religious and cultural background

Economical backbone_ The district is known for its low budget shopping center, specialized in different areas [from handcrafts to mechanics, to jewelry to textile and spices

All investments were focused on the city, leaving the less for-tunate areas along the misery belt” with low living conditions

Location of the main important public spaces in Beirut

Airport

City center

Study area location Bourj Hammoud

1924_Armenian refugees came to the area and setteled along the river1930_they built their first church [Gregarious] and started developing their first houses. there were 25 important families1939_some moved to Anjar

Armenians started to build their neighbor-hood following a grid structure1945_train railways expansions [tripoli-haifa line, later tripoli-naqura]1948_Shiaa refugees and palestians came from the south, bought lands from Armeni-ans and settled in the southern part

1952_Bourj Hammoud has already its own municipality 1970_the river bank was built1975_civil war started- shiaa of the Nabaa left to more secure areas like dahieh-the train services stoped

swamp area

urban expansion

mediterranean seamediterranean sea

palestinian and shiaa refugees moving from the south

train rail

mediterranean sea

Shiaa left the area to the southern suburbs of beirut

1990_2008_end of civil war_reconstruction projects_infrastructure projects_Some Shiaa came back to Bourj Hammoud, others rent their houses to other Shiaa or low income ethnic groups_Armenian [more or less rich] left to other better places such as Zalka or Antelias

mediterranean sea

highly dense area

shiaa

ethnic groups Srilankis, Egyptian, Ethiopi-ans, Idians, Sudanis

1924 1948 1975 2008

Bourj Hammoud’s limit

The elevated highway

industrial zone

retail/offices zone

mixed-residential zone

1_Mechanics Street 4_Madon Street

5_Haret Sader Street

6_Jewelery Street

2_Spices Street

3_Arax Street

Highway cutting through the high dense residential district between two different neighborhoods

Armenian neighborhoodHigh Economical activities

Lebanese, Shia, Palestinian refugees, ImmigrantsLow income neighborhood

City square, the only available public space Movable coffee shops

Informal sellersCars and pedestrians occupying same space

Sidewalks as playing area for children

Sidewalks meeting, hang out placesEdges become seating places Sidewalks as place for entertainment The narrow sidewalks become terraces and passages

Public usage of the sidewalks and streets is seen in every type of roads or streets_ from motorways to the narrow streets, sidewalks are always full of people articulating different needs

Motoways

Primary roads

Local streets Small allies

Privatization of the space

Busy, chaotic streets

Extension of the shops

Within the area of Bourj Hammoud, there is mainly one public space, which is a city center garden square. Therefore like in other part in Bei-rut, the streets become important public spaces that embody people’s needs. The streets are characterized by their traffic, chaos, and ongoing interaction. Shoppers, sellers, chil dren, elderly all occupy the only avail-able open space in the area to either do their everyday jobs, to catch up with some neighbors, to play and spend some time outside the house.

The corniche

Bliss street

Horsh Beirut

Gemayze street

Hamra street

bringing own chairs

outdoor activities

student street_sidewalks as meeting places

coexistence pedestrians and cars

the use of parking lots since most of the park is closed_ family place, pick nicking

night life street

cafés and restaurants occupying the sidewalks

playing sports

movable snacks

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Design proposal Impressions and potential usage of the space

Site conditions

Street characteristics

Problem

Design concept

Designing the condition

Design strategy

1_Dominant structure

2_Dark space underneath

3_Negative space, un-wanted and unpleasant

4_Dominant with cars

Immediate context

Physical specifications Light conditions Usage

PP

The ground floor, or pavement of the mid-walk reflects an important element, not only for the structure but also for the street itself. It represents the base of the highway-on which it is standing- as well as the center of the street, forming then a connecting surface between the street level and the structure.The designed pattern of the mid-walk consists of alternating white and black [as the opposite neutral color of white] stretched linear strips, emphasizing the continuous character of the street. Actually, the pattern is inspired by the common zebra crossing-pedestrian crossing- which symbolizes a space for people. On a larger scale, it symbolizes an in-between transitional space between both neighborhoods as an inviting space to be crossed and maybe remain in. On the other hand, it represents an irony within the urban context of Beirut, where pedestrian crossings do not really exist. However, since the space is interrupted every 25 meters by the columns, the rigid geometrical form of the strips is broken down to be transformed into more organic shapes [leaves shapes] that extends on the columns and form another pattern.

The design concept focuses on creating a white lit and neutral space, free of any semiotic information or political connotations by intervening on the different structural elements of the structure [pavement, ceiling and columnsThe aim is to improve the physical and visual quality of the “in between” space and create a new positive image.

The design strategy focuses on addressing the existing condition of the physical structure of the highway first then projecting the potential usage of the space- once a new condition is established. In fact, the main objective is to transform the negative image of the highway and the space itself into a positive and attractive one. This new image is thus achieved by intervening on the structure itself, providing a flexible space that has the potential in generating opportunities.

The columns are the most dominant elements within the space for their huge scale and repetitive rhythm. They form the first attracting element for drivers and pedestrians. Therefore, the design of the surface of the column consists of creating an attractive graphical representation that can be painted and easily implemented. The concrete material of the columns is painted in white and black where white is the background while black is the color of the painted pattern. In fact, the pattern is an extension of the organic shapes of the pavement that are transformed into an ornamental floral pattern [flowers, leaves]. The pattern was basically inspired by Arabic/Islamic art in representing ornamental patterns on walls, columns or even carpet -a way to bring nature in to their enclosed spaces. However, the used pattern here represents a more abstracted way of ornaments, reflecting the concept of Beirut as an Arabic city that always tends to transform tradition into modern and westernized way.

In contrast to the pattern of the pavement and the columns, the ceiling is kept as a plane rigid surface painted all in white. The ceiling can be perceived as a protective element. In addition to its physical quality in covering the space underneath [during the extreme hot and rainy weather in Beirut], the white color creates a safe, secure and lit space during the day and is emphasized in the nighttime and evenings through artificial lighting. Simple fluorescent recessed lighting can be applied on the ceiling every 3meters, creating a continuos lit monument and space. The constant dark characteristic of the space is thus turned into a constant lit space.

White natural stone

Mosaic white stone

Pavement detail materials

Mosaic black stone

Pavement pattern- zebra crossing from which emerge floral pattern under each column to continue with a different pattern on the column itself

Inspirational patternsArabic/Islamic floral pattern

Yerevan street_1km long

Detail of the space

Columns

Ramp

- space

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night life street

~25mFull light

More dark than light

More light than dark

Type 2: apartment buildings

Buildings entrances

Full dark

Section of the space with the ramps

Different means-One color: white

1_create a consistent at-tractive physical condition that serves as a landmark and enhance the quality of the space

2_organize spatially the space to be more pedes-trian friendly.

3_project potential usage after the new condition is established

Distinct structural landmark

Continuous linear element

plan view_scale 1/1000 Parking spaces removed from the midd-walk, forming one continuous linear space

Columns pattern

Pavement pattern

Horizontal surfaceVertical surface

Green spaces Circulation pattern

furn abou bla AGFA photo Mini market

type 2_cars parked parrallel to the sidewalks or mid-walkmore common type

type 1_cars parked diagonnaly to the sidewalks or mid-walk

Type 1: slum like housesvehicular circulation street level

entrance/ exit ramps

vehicular node under the highway

ramps vehicular node on street level

Type 3: apartment buildings with shops on ground level

Shops include a variety of functionsmechanics, hairdresser, minimarkets, handcrafts...Extend their activities on the sidewalks

2-3 storiesSidewalks used for parking, or becoming semi privatized spaces [children playing, people hanging around]

Buildings entrances

_children playground _abandonned spaces_unmaintained_planted roundaboutsMixed-used residential street

Msc Thesis Landscape Architecture an Planning_Thesis Landscape Architecture_Wageningen University_August 2008_Reem Saouma

Vacant space turned into green parking space Vacant space 2 turned into green parking space