Dutch firm Orange Architects recently completed work on a distinctive residential tower in Beirut, Lebanon. Rising to a height of 50 m (164 ft), The Cube comprises 14 stacked volumes that rotate 90 degrees per level, offering generous sheltered balconies to its residents.
Based in a suburb east of the ancient city, The Cube is quite interesting structurally. It consists of a fixed core, which contains the elevators and staircases, crossed by concrete girders.
"Thanks to the fixed core with lifts and staircases at the heart of the building, there are no constraints on the layout of the apartments," explains the firm. "The floors run straight from the core to the facades, which are on each floor composed of two supporting concrete girders and two panoramic window frames, consequently rotated 90 degrees per level. Both the crossing girders and the core serve to stabilize the tower, an extra challenging task in a seismologically active area."
The Cube comprises a total floorspace of 5,600 sq m (60,277 sq ft), which is split between 19 luxury apartments. The homes range in size from 117 - 234 sq m (1,259 - 2,518 sq ft) and boast large terraces with views of the Mediterranean and the city's skyline, in addition to very generous glazing.
Parking is located in an underground garage, while a large section of the building hangs impressively over the main entrance.
The Cube was commissioned by Lebanese developers Masharii. Construction began in May 2011 and was completed in October 2015.
Source: Orange Architects via Arch Daily