Meet The Young Lebanese Architect Reclaiming Public Space In Beirut
Ramzi Alieh is a young Lebanese architect who is using his talent to reconquer public space by reinventing the idea of what it actually is. Alieh is not working on massive manicured parks or libraries, rather he is focusing on the small yet cumbersome blocks that box us in and strip us of our space.
A graduate of the Pratt Institute in New York City, Alieh has completed three public space interventions, and has one underway. For his first project, Alieh transformed a bulky cement block that makes Beirut’s sidewalk impractical into a bench, giving it functionality and purpose and taking away its obstructive nature.
His second intervention was just as impressive; he took one of the large wave-breakers that have become a symbol of what Alieh calls the “hyper-privatization of the city” and turned it into a public platform, handing it back to the people.
His third intervention addressed a very sore spot for people: the lack of access to public beaches. Alieh installed stairs connecting the corniche strip to the sea, providing proper access to the last remaining stretch of public beach in Ras Beirut.
In a conversation with Beirut.com, Alieh explained what drove him to these projects, saying:
“I consider architects socially and politically responsible towards the people they build for and around. So walking the streets of Beirut, I couldn’t but consider the lack of public space as a lack of space for the expression of a common identity, which would subsequently enforce many social and political crises that we face.”
His most recent project is arguably his most impressive. “Public Podium” aims to provide a much-needed space for people to voice independent opinions, activating the steps of a Mar Mikhael stair as potential hosts for an audience.
Although the problems facing Beirut go well beyond the scope of these individual interventions, nevertheless, they exemplify the fact that incremental and person-led change is possible. We salute Alieh on his incredible work, in the hopes that it may motivate others to follow suit.
“I’m hoping this series of interventions acts as a conversation starter about the make up of our city and the way we live in it,” Alieh added.
