GM Architects, the only Lebanese architecture and design firm to be taking part in the 2014 Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition, is delighted to present its ‘Museum of Civilizations’ project at the ‘Time Space Existence’ Exhibition at the in the Venice’s San Marco district. The exhibition will run from June 7th to November 23rd.

Au sommaire
Les minorités religieuses et ethniques sont-elles en train de disparaître en Méditerranée ?
Mohamed Kaci interrogera le chercheur Hasni Abidi sur les conséquences des persécutions commises par l'État Islamique en Syrie et en Irak.
Quelles sont les chances de réussite de la future coalition mondiale anti-EI ?
Dans cet horizon incertain, une poétesse, un architecte et un percussionniste nous promettront un monde meilleur.

DNZ: Is a weekly program that covers various aspects of architecture and interior design. Each episode contains exclusive interviews with designers as well as visits to some sites and projects such as hotels, restaurants, houses, buildings, or links offer.

Toufoula is a Lebanese non-governmental organization which was founded in 2006 by a group of concerned volunteers sharing the same goal: drawing a smile on the faces of young children suffering from cancer and blood diseases.

The Dream Rooms Project aims at making the children's stay at the hospital as pleasant as possible, and changing their perspective of hospitals. The rooms are painted with happy and lively colors and are equipped with toys, sources of entertainment and communication opportunities. The purpose is to spread a cozy and warm atmosphere similar to home, where the children can dream instead of worry. Because distraction is the best therapy and stress reliever, this is a space for children to live their fantasies and dream of a better tomorrow.

Versatile, creative to the extreme, a true visionary and the designer of dreams, Galal Mahmoud has been the architect behind some of Lebanon's and the world's most magnificent luxury resorts, public spaces, as well as business and private constructions.

When you come from a background so mixed, and live a life so rich with experience, the lines and boundaries are blurred and your mind always remains open to seeing the world in an entirely new perspective.

This is perhaps where Mahmoud's unique sense of creativity and style stems from. Born to Egyptian parents, he spent his childhood in Lebanon, and two decades in France. Mahmoud was constantly exposed to different cultures, which allowed him to absorb and appreciate both the differences and similarities and develop a keen sense of creative flexibility that is very evident in his work today.

From private hacienda-style villas in Miami, to exclusive boutiques in France, restaurants in Beirut, and luxury resorts around the world, Mahmoud's work is defined through his unique character and meticulous attention to detail.  

Mahmoud sat down with Today's Outlook to tell us all about his latest project, an ultra-luxurious retreat on the gorgeous Mediterranean coast of Morocco. We also learned about the creative team including his partners Randa Chahine, Anwar el Hajj, Elie Waked, and the little things that make such a brilliant mind tick...

(Go To Link to continue the article)

It may well have been homesickness that brought Galal Mahmoud back to Lebanon from France in 1996 after two decades away, but it is opportunities rather than nostalgia that has kept him here.

Four years after founding GM Architects in Beirut, Mahmoud closed his Paris office and concentrated on the Middle East full time. 2005 saw the firm move to Abu Dhabi and this year has seen Mahmoud finish work on the city’s Park Rotana Hotel.

Over the years, GM Architects has come to specialise in hospitality work, particularly beachfront resorts, and currently has major projects in Egypt, Morocco, Greece and Lebanon. MEA spoke to Mahmoud last month to find out more about Beirut’s unique design language, and the importance of scale, context and humanity in hospitality projects.

(Go To Link to continue the article)

In 1996, Galal Mahmoud returned to Lebanon, after 20 years away. He had spent the previous two decades studying and working in France, but his childhood home was calling him back.

At the time, Lebanon was edging into a period of peace and reconstruction, presenting interesting opportunities for an open-minded, internationally-trained architect and interior designer. Mahmoud founded GM Architects, an architecture and interior design firm eager to contribute to the shaping of a new Lebanon. The Beirut office was also envisaged as a springboard into the rest of the Middle East and by 2005 the company had also established a presence in Abu Dhabi.

Over the years, GM Architects has come to specialise in hospitality projects, particularly beachfront resorts. It is Mahmoud's rootlessness that defines his work - in that it has instilled an almost instinctual versatility. Context and humanity are key.

CID met with Mahmoud at the Park Rotana Abu Dhabi, one of his latest projects in the UAE, to find out more about Beirut's unique design language, and the importance of scale, reason and context in design.

(Go To Link to continue the article)

This historic location, site of a royal palace and for centuries attracting travellers in search of cures at the hot springs, is being upgraded to include several 4 star hotels, a 5 star hotel, a mosque, a promenade, new public baths, international quality spas and souks, refurbished to appeal to an anticipated influx of health tourists. The massive project, which comprises interior design, architecture and urban planning, is based on the site’s total integration into its environment. Green features and contextual design elements should help ensure it continues to be a unique experience.

Incorporating A Motley Mix Of Dynamic Colors And Contrasts, Burj Al Hamam Pays Homage To The Aesthetic Subtleties Of Lebanon's Mediterranean Past In An Exciting, Modern Way.

"Purposely it does not look like a Lebanese restaurant," said Galal Mahmoud, President of Beirut-based GM Architects, the chief interior designers for Burj Al Hamam at The Pearl-Qatar.

"We are in the 21st Century, so we wanted to create new interpretations of our traditions." Burj Al Hamam is a veritable treat for the senses. Dominant colors of light grey, pink and aqua green work in tandem to create a bespoke, stylish environment that one may not expect from a restaurant boasting traditional Lebanese cuisine. Contrasted with stark white and black lighting fixtures and updated Oriental accessories, Burj Al Hamam is quintessentially sleek and modern, ready to attract Doha's most fashionable.

In fact, its modern interior is modeled after a historic mix of East and West. "We wanted to stay away from the typically cliché type of environment," explained Mahmoud.

(Go To Link to continue the article)

The design of restaurant Burj Al Hamam's new home at the Pearl-Qatar oozes the elegance and luxury of its location. On the glamorous Riviera-style man-made island in Qatar. Galal Mahmoud of GM Architects has created an interior décor with an atmosphere that is both classic and contemporary. The brand new space is grand, having the look and feel of an old building that has been renovated with some of its original features kept intact, but of course this cannot be the case.

Inspired by traditional tenth century Beirut palaces, the interior has a muted color palette raging from dusty pink to light gray, producing a sense of opulence and luxury. Imposing spherical columns coated in glistering gold and impressive chandeliers decorate the restaurant's capacious dining area, with large waterfront location. Built originally in a two storey space, the upper floor was removed to gain dramatic height and filled with six glass chandeliers two meters high that were custom-designed in Italy, inspired by the Ottoman ere, witch influenced some Lebanese architecture.

Draping texture envelop the most yet elegant space, softening the architecture. Dark-wood furniture and fittings sit alongside the colored-glass surfaces, soft felt-upholstered lounge chairs and delicately patterned carpeting. Subtle blends of luxurious Middle Eastern details such as the hand-blown glass partitions and precious mother-of-pearls inlays contrast with contemporary minimalism.

There is an easy, elegant and opulent comfort to the spaces designed by architectural impresario Galal Mahmoud, President and President of Beirut-based GM Architects. His unique, bold and structural approach to internal and external architecture has won his company many awards, placing him as the leading designer of luxury hospitality and retail projects. As the interior architect of the Erbil Rotana Hotel, Mahmoud continues to revolutionize space and living while adding his signature multicultural textures to his rich creations.

What is the most challenging aspect in designing a space?

1-The subtle blend of elegant proportions, colors and light that will procure a real sense of well being.

2-Layering and seamlessly planning spaces to emphasize important view points or accent features all while providing the visitor with a natural understanding of the spaces and their interactions

3-The details and their relationship to the spatial whole together to form a holistic ensemble

What were the main elements you wanted to communicate in the design of the Erbil Rotana Hotel? 

I wanted to design a destination in fashion of the local heritage and crafts hence creating a contextual yet contemporary experience.

In terms of design which is your favorite space in The Erbil Rotana Hotel and why?

The lobby area which combines drama with soaring heights and confined spaces for warm and friendly moods.

What are the materials/fabrics you most enjoy using and why?

Juxtaposing slight color variations against a rich variety of textures such as plaster walls, finishes such as natural honed stones and sanded veneers, and surface reflectance.

Who are you design heroes?

Tadao Ando who brought poetry to fair faced concrete; Carlo Scarpa for his manic attention to detailing and traditional craftsmanship; Philippe Starck for liberating and democratizing design; and the master of all, Frank Lloyd Wright for his genuine belief in environmental architecture.

What is the future of design?

It is elegance, simplicity and most of all humanity; all of which in no way represent the current trends in architecture. Today, we are experimenting excessive technical knowledge and supposed environmentally-friendly designs.

Amber Retreat Living Wall, Boutique Hotel, Best Interior Design, Jordan.

Amber Valley, Resort & Hotel, Best Architecture & Interior Design, Jordan.

Edde Sands, Beach Resort, Best Architecture (Multiple Units), Lebanon.