Deir El-Qamar Souk Restoration — ARCH-R Engineering & Partners

LocationDeir El-Qamar, Lebanon

Scope1,000 linear m · 98 Shopfronts

Lead ArchitectJoseph A. Renno, ALBA

YearOctober 2023

The Brief

Restoring a living heritage.

Deir El-Qamar's historic souk — its basalt streets, stone arcades and Ottoman-era shopfronts — called for a restoration that respects character while making the town work for the people and visitors who use it today.

ARCH-R led design and CPM engineering for the full stretch: existing stone elevations cleaned by waterjet, streets and sidewalks re-laid in basalt and honed stone, 98 shopfronts rebuilt in timber with hand-detailed abat-jour and awnings, and a coordinated palette of street furniture, lighting and planting drawn from the town's own material language.

Before & After

Character preserved, function renewed.

Existing Condition Existing street elevations before restoration, Deir El-Qamar

Proposed Restoration Proposed restored shopfront elevation, Deir El-Qamar souk

Gardenia Restaurant proposed conceptual sketch, pergola and bougainvillea, Deir El-Qamar

Proposed Conceptual Sketch — Gardenia Restaurant, pergola walk with bougainvillea and stone arcades.

SketchUp massing study of restored souk arcade, Deir El-Qamar

Massing study — restored arcade and pergola structure.

SketchUp massing study, Lekmit Emm square, Deir El-Qamar

Lekmit Emm square — shaded seating beneath the historic cedar.

Scope of Works

Restoration, by the numbers.

0Linear Metres of Streets

0Shopfronts Restored

0Trees Planted

0Street Lighting Bollards