We Design Beirut to enliven the design landscape of the Lebanese capital

Described as a ‘platform dedicated to the rebirth of Lebanon’s design identity in the world’ and ‘a revival of the city sustaining its much-needed future’ by founder Mariana Wehbe and partner Samer Alameen respectively, We Design Beirut is set to be launched from May 23-26, 2024 in the culturally rich Lebanese capital. The event, anticipated for its elaborate showcasing of the best of Arab and regional design, looks forward to pulling the design community from Lebanon and beyond to engage in a multidisciplinary programme illustrated by design displays, dialogues and discourse. The four-day inaugural event, which was previously scheduled in October 2023 was halted in view of the Israel-Gaza conflict and further violence that erupted in the Lebanese region. The announcement of the festival followed the discontinuation of Beirut Design Week in 2019 and a series of subsequent tragic events which includes the August 2020 Beirut port explosion that resulted in the loss of hundreds of innocent lives and damage to several parts of the city, in addition to the economic crisis and rampant inflation that led several designers and creatives turn to leave the country.

We Design Beirut sought to bring back the raging voice of its creative community and to revive the glory of a city that has been silenced for long. “Creativity is the heartbeat of Beirut and it is our intention and aim to make sure it is brought back to life once again by reintroducing the world to Lebanon through our very own lens,” Wehbe remarks.

Peppered with city-wide exhibitions and tours, We Design Beirut unpacks creative stimulation across a spectrum of disciplines ranging from interior design, architecture, furniture, product design, functional art, ceramics, home accessories, and rugs. The event will unravel its programmes across distinguished locations in Beirut. Within the restored 1962-built movie theatre turned cultural centre called Cinema Royal, the opening night will be hosted. A venue previously used to screen Indian films to the Lebanese and Armenian communities and subsequently hosted the programming of Asian martial arts films and American action movies, will stage the onset of the design event’s discourse.

Central to We Design Beirut is a series of city exhibitions that unravel a close glimpse of the workings of the Lebanese design community. Among these showcases will be a subjective recount of the story of prominent modernist architect Khalil Khoury through the exhibition All things must(‘nt) pass, curated by his son Bernard Khoury and grandson Teymour Khoury. The showcase will be staged at the Interdesign building in Beirut, a brutalist landmark recognised as one of Khoury’s most spectacular architectural achievements. Another key exhibition within the programme will be up on display at the historic Villa Audi. Titled Past Echoes: A Journey through Middle Eastern Product Design, the showcase put together by Babylon-The Agency will unpack the diasporic roots of design. Elsewhere, Studio Nada Debs Swirlmania—hosted at her studio in Gemmayzeh, Beirut—will allow visitors to discover an exquisite range of 20 tables made of different craft techniques.

Another highlight of We Design Beirut is the PSLab which will serve as a hub of empowerment and craft for the festival. Formerly home to one of Lebanon’s most reputed lighting firms till the August 2020 explosion, the space is conceived “to showcase the centuries-old artisanal splendours and craftsmen and women of Lebanon,” as per the We Design Beirut team. Hosted within this space will be a series of collaborative projects, exhibitions and installations. These include Vision from Beirut, a travelling exhibition (combined with a sound installation) by Lebanese architect Karim Nader and Belgian photographer Julien Lanoo that pays homage to the city’s past while anticipating its future. Métiers d’Art, another distinguished showcase to be displayed at the PSLab is providing talented craftsmen and artisans in the fields of rattan, wood, copper and glass to show their crafts to a live audience. The project, poised under the WeEmpower programme, also allows the artisans to collaborate with contemporary designer, architects and other platforms.

Open to the public, We Design Beirut will be attended by an impressive roster of international design professionals and organisations, all seeking to discover a fresh start to revive the creative roots of the city.

STIR, a media partner to the festival looks forward to discovering the platform and the best of innovative design to foster a global dialogue on design and sustainability.