{"id":27894,"date":"2013-09-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/27894\/karim-najjar-the-man-behind-the-gartens-dome"},"modified":"2023-08-14T10:42:37","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T10:42:37","slug":"karim-najjar-the-man-behind-the-gartens-dome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/27894\/karim-najjar-the-man-behind-the-gartens-dome\/","title":{"rendered":"Karim Najjar: The Man Behind The G\u00e4rten’s Dome"},"content":{"rendered":"

This summer, the Beirut nightlife scene got a breath of fresh air: literally. Not wanting to cram its patrons into its underground headquarters in Hamra, \u00fcberhaus set up The G\u00e4rten, an open-air, pop-up nightclub in the Biel parking lot.<\/p>\n

It was declared the best nightclub in the region by Rolling Stone Middle East<\/a>. The most prominent feature of the venue is a massive ten meter 2,150 kilogram steel geodesic dome. It may come as a surprise to some that this structure was actually custom-made locally by architect Karim Najjar. <\/p>\n

Beirut.com had a chat with Mr. Najjar about the project and its execution.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Beirut.com<\/b><\/i>: How did you first get into architecture?<\/p>\n

Najjar<\/b> <\/i>: I cannot remember that there was a conscious decision; I’ve always loved to create and build things and somehow I ended up being an architect.<\/p>\n

Beirut.com<\/b> <\/i>: Your work has a very sleek and futuristic aesthetic to it. Why did you adopt that style?<\/p>\n

Najjar<\/b> <\/i>: Living by the Mediterranean might explain our affinity for horizontal lines, open planes, wide-spanning roofs, boat vessels, and wings. We [Najjar & Najjar Architects] are not so much interested in adopting a style; we believe that architecture is a form of expression that reflects how we see the environment around us. Hence, our design follows the idea of integrating all necessary elements into a piece of artwork that performs on a level of expression and functionality, such as boats and maritime structures.<\/p>\n

Beirut.com<\/b> <\/i>: How did \u00fcberhaus approach you about the nightclub project, and what were they looking for?<\/p>\n

Najjar<\/b> <\/i>: \u00fcberhaus was looking for an iconic structure that could be deployed easily. One of my students in a class [I taught at the American University of Beirut] recommended my firm because [he or she] was given a similar assignment as part of the course.<\/p>\n

Beirut.com<\/b> <\/i>: Why did you go for a dome?<\/p>\n

Najjar<\/b> <\/i>: The half-sphere shape of the dome falls under what is called a Geodesic dome shape; it utilizes a pattern of edges and corners to form what are referred to as ‘Platonic Solids’ in the architecture field, and I think people are fascinated by this type of design. We opted for a dome as an inclusive shape, enhancing the spirit of the party community in Beirut.<\/p>\n

Beirut.com<\/b> <\/i>: What was the greatest challenge you faced during this project?<\/p>\n

Najjar<\/b> <\/i>: Mainly budget and time constraints, as we had only five days for design and calculations and the dome needed to be set up in only one day.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Beirut.com<\/b> <\/i>: What kind of feedback have you gotten on the dome?<\/p>\n

Najjar<\/b> <\/i>: For the first time I feel acknowledged for what I am doing by my daughter, who loves to party there.<\/p>\n

Beirut.com<\/b> <\/i>: Do you have any upcoming projects that fans of the dome might be interested in?<\/p>\n

Najjar<\/b> <\/i>: We are currently working on a structure that floats on open water and responds to the waves. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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