Saint Michael Church - Saint Michael Street
AWARDED - May.2021
COMPLETED - Sept.2022
LOCATION - Saint Michael Street
CLIENT - Saint Michael Church
PROJECT AREA - 750 m2 indoor + 600 m2 outdoor
It is one of the first churches in modern architecture in Beirut located in the heart of Mar Mickael Street. It serves as the base of the parish and the center of all religious and social events and all their respective activities. It is located in a residential and commercial neighborhood that has emerged as one of the most fashionable in Beirut and has become a new hub for art and creativity. In fact, this neighborhood was named after the church itself given its importance in its district.
Mainly, it is characterized by its unique architecture which consists of a semi-circular shape of its interior to create an equal distance between the parishioners sitting on the benches and the altar in the middle.
This convivial space is based on equally spaced columns connected to their equivalent beams in shape of rays directed towards the altar giving it a distinctive shape. This structure helps anyone entering this space, follow the beams and be guided towards the center of the church which is the most valuable part in it.
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Unfortunately, Beirut 4th of August port blast led to the destruction of this church leaving behind scattered stained glass, peeled plastering and disconnected lighting and electrical fixtures. Saint Mickael Church was renovated in different phases; however, the architectural features were not exposed as they are supposed to.
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Therefore, this was the main concern to restore back its identity in modern architecture. Luckily, a donation was received from the Maronite Foundation for Global Development through the Maronite Archdiocese of Beirut as Phase I mainly for the exterior area.
BEELD won the tender and performed the following with the received funding: demolition, civil (peeling the façade and roof, scouring the exterior area), waterproofing (exterior area, flower -beds, roof), electrical and sanitary (exterior area) works. As for Phase II, it includes works in the interior part of the church (peeling, plastering, painting, tiling, scouring as well as mechanical and electrical installations) as well as the exterior one (waterproofing and mechanical cladding of the exterior façade). The aim of this renovation process is to restore the spiritual and architectural characteristic of this unique church to render back the sad scene of the impact of the explosion
