Water Features for M1 Building
IGA role: Full design
Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Initially designed to animate the lower entrance of M1 headquarters, the 2 water features from each side of the passage failed to achieve their objective.
Two main flaws were discerned: The huge platforms in the middle of the stairs, intended as a pedestal for sculptures but turned into an obstacle shifting passers away from the water, and the direction of the cascades running parallel to the stairs, to end under a low, and dark overhang with very little visibility.
Before
After
IGA’s design relied on unblocking the stair and turning the cascade 90 degrees for a larger waterfall area, allowing more interaction while managing to reduce the flow to a third of its initial consumption. Adopting the same materials and patterns of the surrounding to blend in, the water feature is however highlighted by a planter on each end. Papyrus grass, commonly associated with water, is not only used to add a nice green frame, but also to evoke its historical use in manuscripts production by ancient Egyptians, making it quite relevant to an office building.