Mannered Dramatics is taking the urban theatricality
of Mar Mikhael to a whole different level. Turning a blind eye to the needs and wants of the people
that actually live there, Mar Mikhael has gone through great changes over the past few years and
these changes in turn affected its demographics profoundly, turning it into another
cold-hearted city we do not need. That is exactly what we wanted to avoid. Our intervention focuses mainly
on the people living in Mar Mikhael, and on the people visiting it. What do the residents really
need? What do the visitors really enjoy? What will our proposal really give back to Mar Mikhael?
We proposed several programs, one that was strictly connected to the great difference in percentage in the demographics. By introducing low rent housing,we will ensure that the young will stay in Mar Mikhael close by (?) to their parents. The second is related to Cinema Vendome, one of the landmarks of Beirut that was torn to the ground due to political and personal “Profit” gain. Including an amphitheatre, cinema, and a theatre in an effort to create what was a great loss to the Lebanese people. And of course others programs such as daycare, dance school,co-working, bars and restaurants that could benefit both the residents and visitors during the day and night. Moreover, during our visit to the site, we realized that there were a lot of abandoned lots,a result of the edges of the surrounding buildings and even topography. People took it into their own hands and made those spaces their own “Public Garden” or even “Play Area”. We targeted those specific areas and came to a conclusion: my partner and I (intruders) became part of that area as if we belonged to that neighborhood. Walls hat were once considered as a separation between interior and exterior or between public and private have become transparent to us. Theatricality overtook those areas, where the audience became spectators and spectators became the audience. That kind of interaction and communication has to prevail in our project specifically because we are proposing diverse programs for all the people.
We proposed several programs, one that was strictly connected to the great difference in percentage in the demographics. By introducing low rent housing,we will ensure that the young will stay in Mar Mikhael close by (?) to their parents. The second is related to Cinema Vendome, one of the landmarks of Beirut that was torn to the ground due to political and personal “Profit” gain. Including an amphitheatre, cinema, and a theatre in an effort to create what was a great loss to the Lebanese people. And of course others programs such as daycare, dance school,co-working, bars and restaurants that could benefit both the residents and visitors during the day and night. Moreover, during our visit to the site, we realized that there were a lot of abandoned lots,a result of the edges of the surrounding buildings and even topography. People took it into their own hands and made those spaces their own “Public Garden” or even “Play Area”. We targeted those specific areas and came to a conclusion: my partner and I (intruders) became part of that area as if we belonged to that neighborhood. Walls hat were once considered as a separation between interior and exterior or between public and private have become transparent to us. Theatricality overtook those areas, where the audience became spectators and spectators became the audience. That kind of interaction and communication has to prevail in our project specifically because we are proposing diverse programs for all the people.
