The last few years have been trying for Lebanon, with multiple economic and political crises affecting the country, but that hasn’t stopped the vibrant creative scene from finding ways to weather the storm.

The first edition of We Design Beirut (WDB), a new annual city-wide event putting Lebanese creativity at the forefront, is a testament to that. First planned to launch in October, the fair had since been delayed twice due to the instability caused by the tragic events in neighbouring Palestine, but from May 23-26, 2024, the platform finally welcomed visitors to its multidisciplinary programme, supporting the local design industry. Giving a much-needed dose of creative energy and collaboration to the city, WDB felt like a programme made for true lovers of design, architecture and art. It was also for people new to Lebanon, seeking to learn about the country’s complexities and innovative spirit, giving a comprehensive overview of Lebanese design through time, whilst also looking to the future. 

Founded by Mariana Wehbe, of Mariana Wehbe Public Relations, in partnership with industrial designer Samer Alameen and visual communication studio Bananamonkey, the four-day-event offered six exhibitions, installations, talks, workshops and open studios around Beirut.

“It's called We Design Beirut because it’s about ‘we’ the people of this country, who decided to stay and pay a consequence for that. ‘We’ the people who decided to leave and come back home, who said, ‘No, we are going to do something’," Wehbe told STIR, a media partner of the event. “We also want to be part of the creative circuit of the international design community. We are extremely proud of all of our designers who make it abroad, but at the same time, we need to touch base, we need to touch home. We want to collaborate with the region. We want to collaborate with the international community and most of all, we want all of you to come to Lebanon and see the depth of our design scene.”

What stood out the most about this design fair was the incredible locations being reactivated. All were chosen for their architectural and historical significance, places that are often overlooked in Beirut’s urban sprawl and some of which had never before been accessible to the public.

The three main hubs—each staged at a different location—individually represented the pillars of Preservation, Empowerment and Sustainability, spotlighting both emerging and established designers.

For the We Empower hub, the former showroom of renowned lighting company PSLab served as the official headquarters of WDB and was entirely dedicated to supporting the ancestral crafts of Lebanon. Destroyed during the 2020 port explosion, the venue, now a shell, was brought back to life for this showcase. The hub aimed to promote and protect age-old—yet disappearing—crafts and the artisans behind them by providing them with exposure, visibility and a retail outlet.

“Through our flagship exhibition, Metiers d’Art, artisans have the opportunity to showcase their craftsmanship live to both the local and international audience,” PSLab project manager and designer Ghady Azar told STIR. "Additionally, the site hosted a variety of installations and showcases featuring renowned Lebanese talent. We provided a platform for artisans from across the country to showcase their skills and creations, aiming to redefine luxury and inspire a new generation of artisans and connoisseurs.”

“We spotlighted a diverse range of traditional crafts, including woodworking, copper engraving, rattan weaving, glassblowing, tile making, marble work and ceramic masterpieces by top ceramicists in Lebanon,” she added. “We also hosted 'We Mediterranean,' a collaborative cultural outpost [a dismountable house made from rattan and bamboo] designed by five Italian architecture studios and executed by local artisans in Lebanon.”

Highlights of this section included Azar’s own Capsule 1.0, in collaboration with architect Galal Mahmoud, presenting a limited series of contemporary carafes, created by the last two glassblowers in Lebanon. Woodcarver Hussam Hamami captivated visitors with his life-sized wood sculptures of crane birds, demonstrating live how they were carved.

Being able to speak directly with the artisans and see their skills in action was a rewarding part of this hub. Their dedication to keeping these crafts alive and the beautiful items created with passion and patience made the showcase deeply engaging.

Rattan Hun by interior architect Dima Stephan marked her as the youngest rattan artisan in the country and a woman in a mostly male-dominated field. She started learning the craft six years ago, after collaborating with a fellow rattan artisan who taught her his skills.

"I work with rattan with love. Mostly we do furniture design or interior installations like ceilings and walls, as well as decorative objects. I'm still learning and it's a never-ending process,” Stephan told STIR. “There are not many left who craft with rattan and they are mostly men, in their 50s and up. There are some women but they only weave baskets or chairs, but not heavy-duty things like bending the large poles with fire. I'm trying to tell the woman that you can do that as well. It's not just for men,” she added. “It's fun, therapeutic and an amazing craft.”

Over at Villa Audi, a stunning early 20^th-century mansion now housing a private collection of Roman and Byzantine mosaics, the exhibition Past Echoes presented an overview of contemporary Lebanese design. Curated by Babylon - The Agency, founded by Joy Mardini and William Wehbe, the show gathered works by over 30 designers, as well as peripheral installations and pop-ups.

Many of these furniture designers are adept at weaving threads of craft history into their contemporary design, using heritage techniques in innovative ways of referencing historical motifs whilst using modern materials.

"From modern installations juxtaposed against ancient walls to innovative furniture pieces placed amidst antique artefacts, the exhibition breathes new life into the historic space, inviting visitors to experience the interplay of old and new,” Wehbe told STIR. “One highlight is the Carrier table by Shaha Raphael, which pays homage to the region's rich material heritage through a table carved from monolithic local limestone intertwined to form a seamless interface.”

Jeffery Meawad’s Solis, a standing drinks cabinet made from fluted rainbow onyx marble and lacquered wood, was a showstopper. A strip of coral pink peeking out of the grey box invited people to open it up, revealing the neon-lit and mirrored interior, with a hidden serving tray. The vibrant colours of the onyx, reminiscent of a sunset, invoked aperitivo hour.

Well-curated and showcasing a broad range of talents, the objects were spread all over the villa, encouraging visitors to peek into every room and even sit on or interact with the pieces, giving a tactile appreciation for the objects as well as visual.

Looking to the future of Lebanese design was the Sustainability Hub at Abroyan Factory—a former 1940s textile factory-turned-cultural space and nightlife venue—with two exhibitions spotlighting experimental design and concepts.

WeSearch offered over 80 students and recent graduates from five universities a space to show their works and ideas, while the Materials Exhibition showcased sustainable design already up and running in the country, seeking to bring exposure to an eco-friendly approach.

This hub offered a sense of hope that, despite the country’s many trials and tribulations, people were still trying to find solutions and ways to work with what was available. With Lebanon relying on imported materials, producing little locally and having no state-run recycling programmes, exhibitions like this bring into focus that there are sustainable choices out there.

Projects on show included Magma Platique by Plastc Lab, in collaboration with Rabih Koussa and Nabil Farhat, who recycle waste plastic and create a material that could be used in design and architecture. For Abroyan Factory, they created a massive structure lit from within, reminiscent of a volcano, showcasing the process and capabilities of their materials.

"The materialisation of Magma Plastique serves as a quintessential example of the union between local industries and designers and it highlights plastic waste as an innovative material,” shared Plastc Lab’s Managing Director, Rami Sbeih. “It serves as a genuine translation of ‘climate action’ into a beautiful form with a complex structure. The structure draws inspiration from the industrial era’s towering exhausts, reflecting on how outdated methods of design lack synergy between form, materials and production processes.”

We Design Beirut has certainly shaken up the Lebanese design scene, which has been semi-dormant since the onset of the ongoing crises in 2019. With participants and visitors already excited for what next year’s edition will bring, the collaborative spirit rekindled during the event is sure to lead to some exciting avenues in the meantime.

The first edition has been an evident success with room to grow its programme to new venues in the next edition—any chance to look around a historically abandoned location is appreciated—as well as possibly expanding outside of Beirut. While the more commercial and international design fairs in the Gulf have made headlines worldwide, WDB was more akin to a city-wide experience, rooted in Lebanese heritage and culture. Even resident visitors found surprises and new avenues to explore, reigniting curiosity for Lebanese design.