We Design Beirut: A Celebration of Creativity, Traditions and Innovation

A new capital has officially landed on the international design scene!

The inaugural edition of We Design Beirut, a dynamic city-wide event celebrating the best of Lebanese design. The event illuminated the city with a vibrant celebration of Arab and regional design. Held from 23th to the 26th of May 2024, We Design Beirut showcased the pinnacle of design creativity, fostering a global dialogue on design and sustainability.

It has presented products, furniture, concepts, and thematic exhibits by designers that either stayed after the explosion or returned over time.

The four-day immersive event delivered a packed program with three main showcases, based on pillars of Preservation, Empowerment and Sustainability.

Each theme took over a separate physical hub of historical or architectural significance, alongside a host of axillary exhibitions, designer showcases, open studios, installations, talks and workshops, all centered on design, architecture and art.

For the inaugural edition of We Design Beirut, Mariana Webhe and co-organizer Sameer Alameen selected three distinct locations to host multiple exhibitions.

They included the ruins of lighting manufacturer PSLab's former headquarters, Ottoman mansion turned archeological museum Villa Audi, and Usines Abroyan, a converted industrial site. Other presentations and open studios were also part of the four-day program.

A journey through history, design, passions and dreams that came true during this 4 days colorful and sophisticated experience.

Villa Audi

One of the event’s highlights took place at the icon of Beirut’s golden age Villa Audi, serving in this occasion as the Hub of Preservation. It showed the exhibition “Past Echoes: A Journey through Middle Eastern Product Design,” curated by Babylon–The Agency, founded by Joy Mardini and William Wehbe.

Photo credit: Walid Rachid

The exhibition involved over 30 product designers inspired by rich heritage of the region. The villa also featured various installations and pop-ups, making it a central piece of the event.

PsLab

At the Hub of Empowerment, PSLab hosted “Vision from Beirut,” an exhibition by esteemed architect Karim Nader and Belgian photographer Julien Lanoo.
This project pays homage to Beirut’s past while envisioning a hopeful future, blending the city’s rich history with forward-thinking design.
PSLab, originally home to one of Lebanon’s internationally acclaimed lighting firms before the August 2020 explosions, served as the hub of empowerment and craft.

Photo credit: Kalim Sakr

It showcased the Métiers d’Art exhibition, highlighting Lebanon’s centuries-old artisanal splendors and craftsmen.

Collaborative projects like We Mediterranean will also feature, along with pop-ups from established design stores such as PIK’D Gallery and The Silly Spoon. Esteemed designers, including Rania Malli with her exclusive Stones collection, presented installations.

Abroyan Factory

The historic Abroyan Factory has been chosen to be the hub of sustainability, a exposition that explored the future of global design in collaboration with Lebanese universities and experienced professionals.

Photo credits: Courtesy of Union Marks

This venue was aimed to provide a platform for young Lebanese designers to showcase their work and envision a sustainable future.

"All things mustn’t pass”: a Khalil Khouri retrospective at the Interdesign building

This retrospective exhibition of avant-garde modernist architect and furniture designer Khalil Khouri, curated by his son and acclaimed architect Bernard Khoury, along with his grandson Teymour Khoury, took place at the iconic Interdesign building.

Photo credit: Carolina Ferraro

Displayed on the 24 plateaus of the Interdesign showroom are historical documents, photographs, architecturaldrawings and models, artworks, furniture pieces and prototypes that were produced over a period of more thanhalf a century

The brutalist structure, intended as a showroom, was abandoned in the ‘90s.During these days the building opened the door for the first time to the public.