Lebanon - Beirut’s Saifi Village Written and Photographed by Christopher J.
Varady
Lebanon has always been a creative force and source in the Middle
East. Its designers, singers, filmmakers, and artists have played
a role in representing Middle East design far greater than its
size would suggest. However, in the newly developed and reconstructed
downtown, a small neighborhood is emerging which provides structure
and a platform to the local design scene.
A small piece of downtown exactly on the former Green Line, the
area now occupied by Saifi Village is a symbol of Beirut itself.
The streets in this area were ravaged during the civil war and
the scene of some of the worst fighting. In the post-war years,
this area was left deserted as the country grappled with its future
and tried to reconstruct itself. Now, with money easily available
from the Persian Gulf and wealthy Lebanese abroad, the streets
in what is now known as Saifi Village have been reconstructed
in a manner that reflects the architectural legacy of the city.
Sitting on the southeastern edge of downtown, Saifi Village is
billed as the quartier des arts (artistic neighborhood) and the
recently-installed tenants of shops and luxury apartments are
reflecting that image well. From a Ferrari dealership to high-end
household furnishings, Saifi Village businesses seek to meet the
demands of discerning clients. Marwan Zanfour, owner of the Moon
Concept Store, explains that in Saifi Village shops such as his
attract a client looking for more fashionable, individualized
clothing. “I’m looking to give my clients affordable
clothing which is less commercial than something you would find
at one of the other big stores in Beirut,” explains Zanfour.
Saifi Village is the perfect venue for his concept store because
the area itself attracts a certain clientele. In this way, each
store’s style and fashionable qualities help to create the
foot traffic that neighboring stores can take advantage of.
In addition to mere shops, Saifi Village is quickly becoming
an outlet for Lebanon’s design talent. One such opportunity
is STARCH, a boutique offering fashion to students in the country’s
universities and design schools. A board of designers chooses
from amongst the portfolios of students and accepts 4-6 of them
per season to showcase and sell their work. In this way, the Village
is not only a collection of shops but really a catalyst to promoting
the country’s work.
Lebanon’s Solidiere Company, the firm responsible for the
design and reconstruction of Beirut’s historic downtown,
opened Saifi Village in December 2004. As an extension of downtown,
it fills a critical gap for art galleries and boutiques in the
city. By grouping such high-end, design-focused businesses together,
Solidiere and its Dubai-based partner, Deyyar, offered a centralized
location where the entire neighborhood can attract a particular
type of customer and thus businesses are able to grow off of each
other’s success.
Though at first glance, the neighborhood seems to be built on
nostalgia for the past, the buildings all include features for
energy efficiency and thermal and sound insulation. As such, the
traditional architectural design is certainly not an excuse for
offering residents the best amenities in modern housing.
On Saturday mornings, a number of organic farms and the local
non-governmental organizations which support them operate the
Souk el-Tayeb (The Good Market) in the village. Locals and tourists
regularly shop both for fresh vegetables as well as specialty
spices, honey, and other products specific to this country known
around the world for its cuisine. The organic and high quality
produce on sale here is often a welcome respite from a city that
seems dominated by fast-food restaurants.
However, Saifi Village’s streets are still filled with
police escort vehicles and private security men with earphones.
Instead of creating an artistic atmosphere, the Village exudes
prestige and influence. In addition, the Village’s only
dining option is the chic, semi-outdoor Balimo restaurant. Without
a sidewalk café culture, it’s hard to imagine that
Saifi Village can truly become a magnet for the arts and design.
The great design capitals of the world such as Copenhagen have
successfully integrated affordable, individualized housing with
entertainment, dining, shopping, and design-oriented businesses.
Beirut, as a city, has all these elements but Solidiere if it
truly wishes to create quartier des arts, needs to focus on bringing
together all these organic elements to take root in the Village.
Though Saifi Village currently lacks fine dinning and nightlife
options, it is located directly in between the reconstructed downtown
and Gemmazyeh neighborhood. Within a five minute walk, the city’s
best bars and pubs as well as interesting dining options lay out
for visitors. Gemmazyeh is the epicenter of Beirut’s pre-clubbing
nightlife, with all the plastic surgery, glitzy clothes, and sleek
cars that you would expect to accompany it. Only a few blocks
to the west, the reconstructed downtown offers visitors plenty
of dining options in the traditional, outdoor style of Lebanon.
Diners can sit in sidewalk cafes with long tables, where the clatter
of delicious Lebanese cuisine being served and the smell of arguille
(the Lebanese water pipe) surround you.
Saifi Village currently lacks a hotel, but downtown, just a stone’s
throw away offers the Markazia Hotel. Several other hotels, including
a Four Seasons and Park Hyatt, are currently under construction
as well.
The name Saifi is associated with the Arabic word for summer.
Though Lebanon is absolutely best visited in the summer when not
only the Mediterranean climate is at its most welcoming, Saifi
Village has the potential to become a draw for the Middle East’s
current renaissance of arts and young people who putting the region
on the world’s design stage.
Christopher
Varady is a humanitarian relief worker currently based
in the Middle East. He contributes travel articles on destinations
experiencing social change that we all can appreciate and
encourage.
