12 billion US dollars are already requested by Lebanese officials t from the international community to invest in development of local infrastructure. This spending on infrastructure over the next seven years is essentail to deal with the huge presence of Syrian refugees in the country. Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s adviser on Syrian refugees said : “We estimate that we need around $1.5 billion in investments in infrastructure each year. The Council of Development and Reconstruction is working on a master plan for the needs of Lebanon and we will send this report to the international community, World Bank and other international banks to obtain long-term loans with a 1.4 percent interest only.” On April 5, representatives from 70 national delegations, major donors and humanitarian and development organizations met in Brussels to raise funds for countries hosting Syrian refugees. At the conference, Hariri urged the international community to finance major infrastructure projects ...
Snøhetta has won a competition to design the headquarters of Banque Libano Francaise in Beirut, the firm's first project in Lebanon. Oslo- and New York-based Snøhetta was selected for the project with a design for a high-rise block with chequerboard-patterned facades. The building will also feature plant-covered terraces carved into the roof and walls. The terraces will provide staff at the headquarters of the Lebanese bank Banq ue Libano Francaise (BLF) with access to outdoor spaces, which the architects hope will become "social hubs" for the institution.But the outdoor space and vegetation are also intended as a symbol of sustainability. "In a time of profound change and transformation, the BLF is an ideal partner for Snøhetta with our shared ideals of sustainability, community, and dialogue," said Snøhetta founding partner Kjetil Trædal Thorsen. Interiors will feature stepped seating areas, lounges set on platforms and private meeting spaces contained ...