The refurbishment of the CMA-CGM offices in Beirut introduces a new identity for the shipping conglomerate, characterized by a contemporary spirit and a strong emphasis on transparency. The design strategy consistently showcases views of the Mediterranean Sea, befitting the
company’s maritime heritage.
A glazed full-height atrium divides the building into two parts, connected by slender floating bridges that allow natural light to penetrate deep into the office spaces. On the first floor, these offices are suspended into the void, perfectly aligned with the exterior façade divisions to ensure an unobstructed view of the horizon—a distinct luxury for this workplace. An ambitious structural design, coupled with the strategic placement of vertical service shafts and circulation cores, leaves 81% of the floor-plates virtually free of columns and vertical circulation.
The transparent elevators, along with the glazed partitions of the work areas, connect staff intimately with the city to one side and the sea to the other, allowing them to see through the layers of office space to either side at any moment. With its heightened sense of time and place, this narrative directly reflects the company’s mission of moving goods across land and sea.
Photography: Marco Pinarelli
