CASE STUDY

Case Study Area: Karm El-Zeitoun

The case study area is Karm El-Zeitoun, a highly complex urban, social and economic district of Beirut city.

Karm El-Zeitoun is located on the edge of the city along Beirut River, and it is surrounded by a road ring. The area is placed between Ashrafiyeh, Rmeil and Burj Hammoud neighborhoods and has a direct access to each. Independence street connects Karm El-Zeitoun with Sassine Square at the South West and with Armenia Street (Mar Mikhael) at the North; Charles Malek Street connects it with Burj Hammoud at the East.

Historically, Karm El-Zeitoun was a settlement for Armenian camps during the early 20th century. In the 1921 proposal for a master plan, Karm El-Zeitoun covered a total of 46,000 sqm, divided into 475 parcels which housed 450 Armenian families. The plot sizes varied between 60 and 120 sqm, and a typical plot had 64 sqm. (around 7.5 by 85 m). Each plot had a two-story building measuring 50 by 15 meters. The blocks built in the period 1922-1925 contained 14 apartments. Currently, there are two main roads each with a width of 8 meters that provide main access to the neighborhood. The inner streets are very narrow, 4 to 4.5 meters width. The master plan did not consider access for vehicles.

Karm El-Zeitoun is a “borderline” area which can served as a pilot case to develop a new urban strategy for Beirut city. The master plan currently under development should avoid that the area

becomes a ghetto. This master plan has identified four areas of interest that need to be activated in order to regenerate Karm El-Zeitoun:

1. Developing a pedestrian path that connects the two reference areas of Mar Mikhael (Armenia Street) to Ashrafiyeh (Sassine Square). Because of the strong historical memories in the connected areas, this path has the potential of becoming a tourist attractor.

2. Transforming existing urban structures to create a network of spaces which would be attractive both for residents and tourists:

• Community Hub: Renovation of the old school destroyed during the civil war and the nearby collapsed structure to create a new social and cultural center to host activities organized for the local residents (elderly, youth). The stairs leading to this piazza would serve as an amphitheater to host events.
• Garden of Peace: Transformation of a residual space into a public garden to be used for outdoor activities.
• Cultural Piazza: Connecting the school and the church with stairs and platforms, to create spaces which help to the physical and spiritual well-being of the community.
• Linear Park: Transforming an old railway connecting Mar Mikhael to Karm El-Zeitoun into a suspended park.

3. Rethinking the use of ground floor spaces and transforming some secondary streets into lively places (small cafés, small restaurants). This will make young generations stay or return to Karm-El Zeitoun.

4. Restoring the facades to preserve the cultural and architectural heritage of Karm El-Zeitoun as an early Armenian settlement.