These micro-architectures on a Beirut rooftop invite you to experience summer in the city

For all its undeniable beauty, dedicated public spaces are a rarity in Beirut; an outcome of years of urban neglect, economic strife and conflict. With her latest installation work, Lebanese artist and designer Nathalie Harb is attempting to restore this lost sense of connection through ‘Pretend It’s a Pool’, an ensemble micro-architecture project that has transformed the rooftop terrace of the Beirut Art Center (BAC) into a space for people, play and community (on view until 20 September 2025).

'Pretend it's a Pool': Nathalie Harb at Beirut Art Center

Nestled between the dry bed of the Beirut River and the busy Armenian neighbourhood of Bourj Hammoud, the whole showcase sits above the hustle and bustle of the city offering visitors the chance to slow down, relax, and re-imagine the possibilities of life.

'I was interested in that space between the public and the intimate,' Harb told Wallpaper*. 'The project unfolds in this panoramic, exposed setting – open like a worksite or a wasteland, full of holes – where imagination can take root. Each micro-architecture offers a different view or sensation.'

'From up there you have a 360-degree view; the fabric of Beirut laying bare in front of you, in all its fragility,' she continued. 'It reminded me of the first time I met Beirut after the [Lebanese Civil War], when rooftops became places for moments of love, secrecy, and rewriting a new layer of stories; sometimes erotic, often intimate.'

Originally inspired by the desire to install a public pool on the roof terrace of BAC, ‘Pretend It’s a Pool’ sees Harb partner with fellow creatives Joseph Kai and Lea Kayrouz to build an urban oasis of temporary shelters, improvised tents, cushions and beds, where every piece is a multifunctional, interactive installation. Vibrant textiles wrap the structures and flutter in the warm summer winds, featuring up-close drawings of eyes, shoulders and limbs, accompanied by fig trees and herbaceous plants.

'Joseph’s work often moves between the body and the city,' explained Harb. 'Sensuality and desire are intrinsic to the urban landscape, just as the city becomes part of the body. I invited him to bring that sensibility here. His drawings fold into the installation like a second skin, infusing it with the kind of closeness often absent from public life.'

'Lea is a long-time collaborator,' she continued. 'In ‘Pretend It’s a Pool’, we share authorship. Her contribution here focused on the idea of ‘commoning’ through domesticity, identifying the shared practices, tools and urban artefacts that spark imagination and cultivate collective responsibility.'

The eponymous ‘pool’ takes the form of a small, blue, circular structure decorated with undulating waves, evoking nostalgic memories of the Lebanese summer; the bucket of water standing by for when the mains supply runs out; the tub for soaking in when the heat climbs too high. Abstract yet familiar, this central element – itself an imaginary substitute – is a catalyst for joy, play and pretending. Visitors are also encouraged to build their own improvised shelters and add to the project, using kits provided by the organisers.

The site also functions as a hub for social activations, including musical performances, and even a potluck dinner in which guests shared home-cooked meals with strangers, further emphasising the communal spirit of ‘Pretend It’s a Pool’.

'I hope [visitors] leave with the sense that they have inhabited the city in another way, even for a short time; that they have stepped into a space where public and intimate can meet, and where small gestures are valued as strategies,' said Harb. 'Many of the actions within the installation are gestures of tenderness. It’s a kind of joyful resistance that ensures continuity in survival.'

‘Pretend It’s a Pool’ will run at Beirut Art Center until September 20, 2025

Jisr el Wati, off Corniche an-Nahr, Building Safe, street 93, zone 66 Adlieh, Beirut