First National Bank HQ

Text description provided by the architects. Designed as an environmentally friendly structure that responds to its surrounding context, this iconic building in Beirut's Museum District houses the headquarters of the First National Bank. The building is centrally located near the Beirut National Museum, as well as several major government and corporate buildings. Here, architects Raed Abi Lamaa have created a landmark building that highlights transparency and openness to the city around it, while responding to necessary environmental needs and improving spatial performance.

The building mass consists of two main towers connected at each level by a glass 'bridge'. The towers were carefully placed according to the movement of the sun and the nature of the views from different parts of the building. The location of the building on the site also influences the sensitive relationship with the adjacent plots, reducing the blank facades on the periphery, and incorporating a rear garden that benefits the various surrounding plots.

The façade design was developed through experimental computer modification using an emphasis on geometric and formal analysis of the structure, and analysis of the resulting shadows with impact on the interior spaces of the bank. Therefore, four specific types of ventilation units have been developed, with different angle and depth, different need for opening or shading. The different types of units have been distributed on the façade in a tested pattern to best optimize the interior of the different levels. Embedded glass moldings have been used for each glass system as well as supporting televisions. This system gives length to all components.

This passive interface is one of the most important elements within the wide range of environmentally responsive measures applied to HQ. Landscaping and planting were major concerns, with the introduction of green roofs, terraces, peripheral trees and shrubs using native species and with minimal water irrigation needs. Landscaped decks and terraces are integrated into multiple levels of the building, providing a perimeter and accessible outdoor space for bank staff. A modular planting system at the rear of the building, which acts as a green wall and references the main ventilation structure, helps provide privacy from neighboring buildings while adding a palette of greenery. Intensive cultivation helps improve user well-being and air quality, while also carrying this thinking into building interiors that contain indoor plantations on all levels.

A vital component of the holistic design approach is the development of the sun shading system as a second skin. The bespoke façade elements that make up this mesh sunscreen are made of glass fiber reinforced concrete (GRC) and float on the glass surface of the building itself. These lozenge-shaped louvres are selectively positioned to match the movement of the sun during the day, helping to control the interior temperature and reducing the need for energy-intensive artificial cooling.

The towers themselves are arranged over eleven principal floors, within an overall flexible floor plan that accommodates the projected growth of the bank. The retail branch is located on the ground floor and mezzanine floor, while the cafeteria is located in the adjoining base of the building in front of a flexible gallery space that can be used for various cultural or social events. Offices on the floors above are interspersed with meeting rooms, common spaces and a ballroom, providing a flexible range of functions and capabilities within a single building. In addition, eight underground levels provide undercover service and parking spaces with increased capacity to support private and public parking. Access to the building is optimized and divided by different circulation centers for elevators and fire-rated staircases that meet on the ground floor, with public circulation leading to the car park levels, and private controlled circulation leading to the upper floors. The upper levels of the bank are also connected via a floating glass staircase that allows for a direct visual link between the bank floors.