The Fountain Workshop - Fountain design, build and management
 

Zeytouneh Square, Beirut

Since the end of the Civil War in Lebanon in 1991, Beirut is once more becoming a thriving capital of business. The development of Zeytouneh Square was part of the wider regeneration of Beirut and is now home to three beautiful water features.

The Fountain Workshop provided a number of water features for this space: a shallow pool with tall arching jets, a tiered channel running along one edge of the Square, and an overflowing water table. While vastly different in form, these three water features combine to create a space that not only attracts visitors but welcomes them.

The water features incorporate a variety of surfaces that differ in texture, colour, and effect on the water. The tiered channel, for example, runs over a black, shiny stone that accentuates the splash of the water as it flows over the raised sections of the channel. The water table, however, is a lighter stone that gives the water a clear, pure look.

Project Facts

  • Location: Beirut, Lebanon
  • Client: Solidere
  • Services: Design, build, maintenance
  • Features: Jets, water tables, channels
  • Partners: Gustafson Porter + Bowman, Imad Gemayel
  • Photography: Gustafson Porter + Bowman

The sound of the water running and flowing over the variety of surfaces that The Fountain Workshop brought in to this project create a huge sense of movement. With Zeytouneh Square being a busy space that many people move through everyday, to reflect this within the water features was very important to the designers.

This physical movement is matched with the natural sound of the water, which further reflects the busyness of Square.