fbpx

The Three Squares

Submission: November 1, 2022
Registration: October 25, 2022
Language: English
Location: Batroun, Lebanon
Prizes: Please see details below
Type: Open

 

Batroun, a seaside city located in the North of Lebanon, inherits a strong Lebanese culture providing a unique fusion of the East and the West, with an ancient historical perspective, dating back to Phoenician, Byzantine, crusaders, and Mamluks times, until the late ottoman period, during which the current old souk expanded. The town was once a fishing village rich in traditional culture, surrounded by citrus groves , making it historically famous for its seafood and its fresh lemonade.

As a major tourist destination, Batroun has grown into a leisure service-based economy, and developed rapidly to cater to the restaurants and nightlife businesses (nightclubs, bars, restaurants, stores, etc.) which accelerated the urban sprawl of the area.

Despite the rapid urbanization of the town, the rich culture continues to thrive. The continuity of old traditions reflects the vitality of the local culture, in sync with the modern dynamics of the activities taking place in the alleys of the old town district. Its potential for urban activities revitalizes the public squares and the surroundings by the introduction of the public domain.

From an urban perspective, the old town district enhances the permeability and connectivity of the whole area. Through its network of alleys, it connects, in one hub, historical churches and their main squares, the fishing port and the rest of the waterfront, and archaeological sites such as the crusader fort, the Phoenician wall, the roman Odeon and many other important monuments.

One major non-linear axis stands out from the rest of the network for its important pedestrian flux. The path links three main public squares in the district before reaching the Diaspora square:

– The square of St Stephan Maronite Church.

– The square of St George’s Orthodox Church

– The square of the Church of Our Lady of the Square

A main sculpture, or a work of urban art, is to be designed in each of the 3 squares, as new symbols in town and landmarks marking the 3 squares. The sculptures should be carefully designed to reflect one of the aspects of the culture of Batroun, all while respecting the nearby churches.

The square of St Georges, positioned at the heart of the old town district, and along the path, would play a significant unifying role. A proposed design of the square and its central sculpture would constitute the epicenter of a unified urban design that could spread along the path reaching its opposing poles, the Square of St Stephan, and the Square of the Church of Our Lady of the Square.

Under the governance of the Municipality of Batroun and under the sponsorship of Batrouniyat association, Ctrl Act Design competition organizers have partnered with the order of engineers and architects of Tripoli, as part of a series of competitions based in North Lebanon, to launch the competition “The three squares of Batroun”

Ctrl Act Design calls Designers, Architects, Landscapers, Urban planners, students and enthusiasts to search for a new creative design approach, combining urban art, urban planning and landscaping, while preserving the historical and cultural heritage aspect of the district, and to submit designs for the three public squares with a focus on St Georges square, and its potential extension on the whole path, including the two other squares.

Key Dates

Early Registration Ends On 2022-10-05
Standard Registration Ends On 2022-10-15
Late Registration Ends On 2022-10-25
Deadline Of Submission On 2022-11-01

Fees

30$ – “Early bird” Registration Ends On 2022-10-05
40$ – “Standard” Registration Ends On 2022-10-15
50$ – “Late” Registration Ends On 2022-10-25

Prizes

First prize: 1500$
Second prize: 1000$
Third prize: 500$

The winners will get international art and design media coverage and will be featured on Ctrl Act Design website and social media.

Ctrl Act Design will also acknowledge the outstanding performance of all winners and honorable mentions with Certificates of Achievement.

 

 

>>> Go to the competition’s website <<<