Beirut's stacked residential tower

Dutch firm Orange Architects recently completed work on a distinctive residential tower in Beirut, the capital of  Lebanon.  Rising to a height of 50 metres (164 feet), The Cube comprises 14 stacked volumes that rotate 90 degrees per level, offering generous sheltered balconies to its residents.

Based in a suburb east of the ancient city, The Cube is quite interesting structurally. It consists of a fixed core which contains the elevators and staircases, crossed by concrete girders. There are no constraints on the layout of the apartments due to the fixed core with lifts and staircases at the heart of the building, explained the firm, stating that the floors run straight from the core to the facades. Both the crossing girders and the core serve to stabilise the tower, an extra challenging task in a seismologically active area, they added.

The Cube comprises a total floor space of 5,600 square metres (60,277 sq feet), which is split between 19 luxury apartments. The homes range in size from 117 to 234 square metres and boast of large terraces with views of the Mediterranean and the city’s skyline.
Parking is provided in an underground garage, while a large section of the building hangs impressively over the main entrance. The Cube was commissioned by Lebanese developers Masharii. Construction began in May 2011 and was completed  in October 2015.