In June 2004, SOLIDERE s.a.l, the Lebanese Development Corporation, launched an international ideas competition, open and anonymous, in two stages, for the urban design of Martyrs' Square and the Grand Axis of Beirut. The competition was open to architects, and in the first stage, to students of architecture, worldwide.

In conformity with the UNESCO-UIA regulations for international competitions in architecture and town planning, this competition was approved by the International Union of Architects (UIA).

In the wake of the civil war, in May 1994, SOLIDERE was created by government decree, and charged with the restoration and reconstruction of the centre of Beirut on the basis of a masterplan covering an area of 191 hectares.

In this framework, the city's infrastructures were rebuilt, some 300 buildings were restored and new projects realised. To identify new visions for Martyrs' Square and the Grand Axis, SOLIDERE launched a call for ideas to the world community of architects and for the first stage, to students of architecture.

The aim of the competition was the development of an urban concept capable of giving a new identity to these two historic elements, to engender a new regional profile for Beirut and to participate in the reunification of the city which, some fifteen years after the Lebanese war, is being rapidly reconstructed. Furthermore, in view of its future role as the hub of a network adapted to the new economy, globalisation and new information technologies the site was equipped with a hi-tech multimedia telecommunications infrastructure. Designs were required to offer the Lebanese the opportunity of integrating the city's archaeological and historic heritage through a new cultural dimension while simultaneously permitting a repositioning within a transterritorial network of global city functions.

The jury met on 16 October 2004 to adjudicate the first stage of the competition, and examined 270 projects from 45 countries. Professional and student projects were adjudicated separately.

In the professional category, the jury selected 6 finalist projects the authors of which were invited to submit a project for the second stage. Three prizes and two mentions were awarded in the student category.

Under the presidency of Donald L. Bates, architect (Australia) the jury was composed as follows:
• Fouad Awada (Lebanon)
• Roueida Ayache, architect (France)
• Joan Busquets, architect (Spain)
• Rodolfo Machado, architect (USA)
• Samir Khalaf, sociologist (Lebanon)
• Chong Chia Goh (Singapore), architect, representing the UIA
• Maurizio Marzi (Italy), architect, deputy UIA representative

The jury met a second time in May 2005 to examine the 6 finalist projects. In the absence of Joan Busquets, Bernard Khoury, architect (Lebanon), deputy jury member, participated as titular member.

After the meeting, anonymity was lifted.

Vasiliki Agorastidou, Antonis Noukakis, Lito Ioannidou, Bouki Babaou-Noukaki (Greece)

«This project was the most successful of all the finalists in giving a comprehensive design to the whole dimension of the competition. It creates an imaginative and feasible project that will offer a profound new urban order to this important sector of Beirut, one which can accommodate and support the aspirations and demands of a proud community."

2^nd prize (30 000 US$)

Nabil Gholam (Lebanon), Vincent Van Duysen (Belgium), Vladimir Djurovic (Yugoslavia)

3^rd prize (20 000 US$)

Hashim Sarkis (Lebanon), Mark Dwyer, Evy Pappas and Pars Kibarer (USA)

Layth Madi and Ivan Perez-Rosello (USA)


2^nd prize (7 500 US$)

Joan Caba Roset, Oriol H. Ruiz and Eloi Masferrer Sala (Spain)


3^rd prize (5 000 US$)

Aaron Cohen and Carolina Melia (USA)


Mentions (2 500 US$ each)

• Wilmar Lorenz (France)
• Claudia Mejia (USA)