Lebanon's 'A Roof for Silence' at 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale

Lebanon participates in the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale with the pavilion 'A Roof for Silence', curated by Hala Wardé and commissioned by Jad Tabet. The project addresses the need for spaces of silence and emptiness following the August 4, 2020 Beirut port explosion and the country's ongoing political and economic crises. Wardé's concept contrasts ancient olive tree trunks from the Lebanese mountains with architectural spaces, emphasizing light, nature, and context. Tabet discusses the urban destruction in Beirut's Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhaël districts, the failure of classical reconstruction models due to weak institutions and corruption, and the emergence of a hybrid model involving civil society, NGOs, and international agencies. The Beirut Urban Declaration, launched by the Order of Engineers and Architects of Beirut with architecture schools, advocates for holistic revitalization of affected neighborhoods. The pavilion explores themes of silence, emptiness, and densification through architecture, drawing parallels to music and nature. The Biennale theme 'How will we live together?' resonates with Lebanon's challenges of internal divisions and refugee crises.