This presentation by Antoine Chaaya (Partner and Director at RPBW) is part of the “On Broken Glass” lecture series from the American University of Beirut. Cutting through disciplines, their invited speakers shed light on glass from multiple, often complementary perspectives.
Video abstract
Light is essential for life in general and for human life in particular. It affects both our physical health & psyche. The major interest of glass is not to obstruct light and view.
The physical composition and properties of glass are a real science. This highly important factor and selection criteria can influence the quality of light and the glass appearance. It can make it more or less transparent, more or less flat, more and less neutral. Beyond its functional role of weather conditions protection from wind, rain, and sun, the glass can play a major role in expressing poetry in architecture through transparency, lightness, and luminosity.
About Antoine Chaaya
Architect DPLG based at Paris Office, Antoine Chaaya was born in Lebanon in 1960. He studied architecture at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Lebanon. After graduating, he joined the Paris office in 1987. He worked as a lead architect on a variety of projects including the Kanak Cultural Center in New Caledonia and the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. Since becoming a Partner in 1997, he has been the Partner in charge of other projects including the “Il Sole 24 Ore” headquarters in Milan, The Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) and The Resnick Pavilion at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Phase One of The New Columbia University Manhattanville Campus with four academic buildings, a residential project in Miami, the Headquarters of the SGBL Bank in Beirut, as well as the Beirut City Museum.
He has been elected as a distinguished alumnus at USEK, and was nominated as the patron of the class of young architects 2017. He received a new distinction in 2018. He is also an honorary member of the Lebanese Green Buildings Council (LGBC). He has lectured in France, Italy, Denmark, Lebanon and the USA, including talks at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, as well as the AIA – NY and Middle East. Antoine was appointed member of the RPBW board in 2014.
Video courtesy of Center for Advanced Mathematical Sciences – AUB