On the other side of the Mediterranean, the Camondo school sends a love letter to Beirut

Eighty students from the prestigious school of interior architecture and design Camondo Paris and Camondo Toulon were invited to contribute to the reconstruction of the disaster areas of Beirut by investing in creation. The workshop, which took place from May 10 to 21 in Toulon, was initiated by René-Jacques Mayer, director of Camondo and former director of Designer’s Days (the design festival in Paris) and of the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres.

For this program, entitled “I write to you from Toulon”, René-Jacques Mayer requested the intervention of several professionals who collaborated with the students on avenues of reflection and creative ideas around interior architecture, design and scenography. Among these specialists, some have a close link with Lebanon, such as the architect and founder of the Culture in Architecture agency Aline Asmar in Amman; designers and designers Marc Baroud, Marc Dibeh and Karim Chaya; as well as the visual artist and filmmaker Arnold Pasquier and the design specialist François Leblanc Di Cicilia who was present at the Beirut Design Fair in September 2019. In groups of 15 to 16 people, the 3rd and 4th year students worked on the ‘study of an easy-to-manufacture furniture system with elements recovered after the double explosion at the port on August 4, 2020 (group of Marc Dibeh); on the conception of a speculative design on the site of the abandoned Beirut station (group of Marc Baroud); on the creation of street furniture in partnership with the Lebanese architect Karim Chaya, co-founder of Acid Projects and Blat Chaya (group of François Leblanc); or even worked on the writing of an audiovisual poem addressed to the city of Beirut (Arnold Pasquier group). For her part, Aline Asmar from Amman invited her team to work on the project entitled “The Sursock Palace, architecture of memory”, relating to its reconversion into a museum and cultural center. “By its total refinement, this residence expresses the quintessence of the architecture of the Levant and evokes in my eyes the return to origins. For me, it is the ideal dream of the Lebanese house, the symbol of heritage and the art of living in Lebanon ”, explains the architect to L’Orient-Le Jour.

The reflections declined in sketches, drawings and colored renderings during the workshop. Photo DR

Why the Sursock Palace?

Aline Asmar from Amman confides that she has maintained deep friendships with Lady Cochrane and has fond memories of her special moments with her. “I had the pleasure, every time I landed in Beirut, to go to lunch or to have tea in his company. I can still see her installed on her green velvet sofa next to the arcades. This workshop was, in a way, a tribute to this early lady activist in favor of heritage. It is our turn to contribute to the preservation of the houses of Beirut, as the Beirut Heritage Initiative does wonderfully by federating skills within a unified action in the service of the city. “

The choice of the Sursock Palace is also linked to the values ​​of the Camondo school and the history of the Nissim de Camondo mansion in Paris, which was converted into a museum by decision of its legatee, banker and art collector. Italian of Turkish origin, Count Moïse de Camondo (1860-1935), in tribute to his deceased son, the aviator lieutenant Nissim de Camondo, hero of the First World War. Rethinking the new life of the Sursock Palace is all the more stimulating for Aline Asmar of Amman as she knows every corner of the palace. When she finished her studies at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA) and did her first internship at the Ziad Akl et Associés office, she focused on the architectural survey of the place. On the other hand, and this is not negligible, it had long since taken the measure of the interest of the heritage by carrying out the interior renovation of emblematic buildings, such as the hotel Le Crillon (18th century) in Paris and that of the Michelin-starred restaurant Le Jules Verne located on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. Currently, she is working on the restoration of one of the jewels of the City of the Doges, the Palazzo Donà Giovannelli (15th century), the future Rosewood Hotel, in Venice.

She therefore organized everything so that the students could soak up the Beirut atmosphere as best as possible: books and photographs relating to the palace, a virtual tour of the premises with Roderick and Mary Cochrane, and even a Lebanese evening in her Parisian offices, in direct virtual interaction with the filmmaker artist Joana Hadjithomas, the fashion designer Rabih Kayrouz, Liza Asseily, founder of the eponymous restaurant, the artist Lamia Joreige, Camille Tarazi, of the Tarazi house, and the fashion designer Milia Maroun, who developed the concept of a city of a thousand sounds and colors. Because, like the other artistic aspects, fashion, art and gastronomy are disciplines in their own right which share with design issues related to innovation and the memory of know-how, and represent a strong economic and cultural stake.

Emotions and feelings in sketch

“Keeping the soul of the Sursock Palace intact and preserving the intimate dimension” was the slogan launched by Aline Asmar from Amman to the members of her team. Allow visitors to gather a summary of the work of the craftsmen of yesteryear, to follow the process of artistic mastery, to discover the scent of the objects selected by successive generations, and to dive into the heart of the architectural and family heritage as well . From what the places offered, the group thought about the ticket office, the museum circuit, the route of a temporary exhibition or a mobile wall on which a canvas would be grafted. The students have imagined a lounge where the palace archives will be unveiled, as well as a film which will relate the history and memory of the residence. A bookstore corner and a small boutique with a cultural identity will showcase the country’s crafts; a small coffee in the garden has also been planned. “But they went even further, and surprised me with their poetic and contextual approach”, underlines the architect. “Some have worked on a graphic art direction to be adapted for different uses; others on a family tree in the form of a carved screen. Another group went so far as to collect the testimony of fifteen relatives and friends of the Cochrane family to build a glossary in love with the details of the palace and its experience. I am amazed by the courage and perseverance of all the students who have listened, learned and assimilated so much information and emotions in order to provide creative and innovative responses ”, she adds.

Aline Asmar from Amman and her group in Camondo Toulon. Photo DR

Rebuild the city with love

The reflections declined in sketches and the infographic production of 3D images, models, drawings and colored renderings, explanatory texts will be collected and offered at the Sursock Palace. Likewise, a film written and directed by Arnold Pasquier, like a poetic summary, will soon be shared on the net by the Camondo school, which also documented the entire workshop and the work of all the speakers. “The fruit of our action will be given to ALBA, where I acquired my knowledge of architecture. And also to Beirut Heritage Initiative and Fadlallah Dagher, a dear friend whose action resonates with the values ​​we collectively defend. In short, I intend to return to my hometown all the love it could offer me, ”says Aline Asmar from Amman. “I love this phrase from the poet Adonis:“ My body is my country ”. And it’s true that you take your country with you everywhere. It is anchored in our flesh. “Reflecting on subjects that touch on the reconstruction of Beirut has been a wonderful opportunity for me,” she concludes, adding that this workshop, entitled “I write to you from Toulon”, is a love letter addressed to Lebanon. “In the face of the deep crisis that Lebanon is going through, culture is an absolute weapon. A weapon of mass construction, not destruction. Last but not least, René-Jacques Mayer is planning a second edition of the workshop in September at Camondo Paris.

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Eighty students from the prestigious school of interior architecture and design Camondo Paris and Camondo Toulon were invited to contribute to the reconstruction of the disaster areas of Beirut by investing in creation. The workshop, which took place from May 10 to 21 in Toulon, was initiated by René-Jacques Mayer, director of Camondo and former director …