Beirut-based Raëd Abillama Architects reveals first US project, Abi Chelsea

‘A legacy of bold and gracious living since 1472', chirps the marketing blurb for Abi Chelsea, the first project in the US by Lebanese practice Raëd Abillama Architects. Quoting some 300-years of heritage in excellence may sound incredulous, but for Raëd and his brother, the art collector Karim Abillama, their family’s 600-year legacy in shaping the cultural pulse of Lebanon and beyond is as alive today as ever.
The Abillamas emerged in the 15th century as emirs of Metn, owning vast swathes of land in the mountains between Beirut and Damascus. While fiercely proud of their Lebanese heritage, which serves as a particular source of inspiration for Raëd’s architectural aesthetic, the Abillamas’ contribution to art, architecture, and culture is an international and collaborative affair.
Raëd Abillama Architects’ Abi Chelsea will include a penthouse with a striking near-140 sq m terrace
Fixtures by British design studio Floss Creatives and iconic Danish modernist brand Vipp – as well as the local lighting design studio PSLab (perhaps best known for their long-term collaboration with Aesop) feature throughout Raëd’s built work, which includes residential, cultural, and commercial projects. ‘The quality of small brands sourced worldwide and the poetry of traditional Lebanese architectural motifs merge to create a home that is equally traditional and modern,’ he says of his architectural vision.
Raëd also custom-builds furniture for clients; influenced by his time as an undergraduate at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he studied under an IM Pei accolade, his creations exude a lucid and elegant modernist charm. Because of their geometric purity, he is particularly fond of stairs.
Meanwhile, Karim’s art collection – housed in an 18th-century villa meticulously renovated by his brother – boasts such modern and contemporary heavyweights as Andy Warhol, Richard Serra, Yayoi Kusama, and Elmgreen & Dragset. From Carsten Holler’s gigantic mushroom sculpture that pounces on visitors first entering the house, to Thomas Houseago’s poolside headless Giant – ‘I didn’t find him, he found me', grins Karim – and the furniture-climbing Meme men of Antony Gormley, there is a playful, thoughtful, and at times subversive means of presentation that pairs perfectly with the interiors selected or designed by Raëd himself.
With Abi Chelsea, RAA is bringing the Abillama touch to New York, balancing and indoor and outdoor living that celebrates the beauty and intimacy to be found in everyday life (the penthouse will be particularly zen, with a 139 sq m terrace – twice the size of the average NYC new-build apartment). By focusing as much on emotional affect as material purity, Raed’s treatment of architecture as a total work of art might just provide the oasis of calm that New York needs.
Abi Chelsea will consist of ten luxurious residences, once construction completes in 2019
Raëd's borther Karim is also part of Al Amir holdings, the developer behind Abi Chelsea; he is also a renowned art collector. His Beirut home, pictured here, was meticulously renovated by RAA.
The home, an 18th-century villa, contains Karim's extensive art collection
Further work by the architecture firm includes the Ixsir winery in North Lebanon
The project was designed in 2012 and merges old and new styles
INFORMATION
For more information visit the website of Raed Abillama Architects
-
Rado’s ceramic watches take inspiration from the world’s great gardens
New additions to the Rado True Thinline watch collection reinterpret exotic plants
By Hannah Silver • Published
-
‘Meaningful disruption’: Heron Preston launches L.E.D. Studio, a convention-defying creative hub
Part art and design studio, part sustainability practice, Heron Preston’s L.E.D. Studio builds on the world he has built at his eponymous New York City-based fashion label. Here, he tells Wallpaper* more
By Pei-Ru Keh • Published
-
Exploring Punta del Este, the southern hemisphere’s hub for art and relaxation
Punta del Este offers everything, from party to relaxation; all enveloped in idyllic countryside and a rich cultural offering
By Rainbow Nelson • Published
-
Fort 137 in Las Vegas valley offers a cinematic architectural experience
Fort 137 in Las Vegas valley by Daniel Joseph Chenin was designed by drawing on its landscape and a cinematic approach
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Sotheby's to buy the Breuer Building in New York
The Breuer Building in New York is to be acquired by famed auction house Sotheby's, it's been announced
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
This Shelter Island house is designed as a ‘modern cabin’
Shelter Island house by Koning Eizenberg is designed with a ‘modern cabin’ approach and aesthetic, keeping the owners close to nature
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Rafael de Cárdenas Scholarship at RISD supports access and equity in education
The new Rafael de Cárdenas Scholarship at RISD offers support for students at the school’s Architecture or Apparel departments; we catch up with the architect to find out more
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Texan family house foregrounds sports cars, secret spaces and fantastic finishes
Smitharc has shaped a formidable Texan family house in suburban Dallas, using courtyards and setbacks to create a series of intimate spaces within a substantial plot
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Compact Mount Washington house is designed for maximum impact
A Mount Washington house by Anonymous in Los Angeles makes the most of its views, steep site and small size
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Roberts Projects turns historic car dealership into characterful LA art space
Roberts Projects by Johnston Marklee sees the gallery launch its new home in Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Studio Gang’s Richard Gilder Center brings organic tactility to New York City
The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation by Studio Gang marks a new era for New York City’s iconic American Museum of Natural History
By Pei-Ru Keh • Published