We Design Beirut comes alive: eight exhibitions, one city reborn

In a city that has survived crisis after crisis, We Design Beirut returns to prove that creativity in Lebanon is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. From October 22 to 26, Beirut will open its doors to a design experience unlike any other: eight exhibitions across five historic venues, reimagining forgotten architecture as spaces of memory, healing, and hope.

The event, founded by Mariana Wehbe and co-led with designer Samer Al-Ameen, has quickly become a cornerstone of the city’s cultural revival. Now in its second edition, We Design Beirut goes beyond showcasing aesthetics; it’s about reclaiming Beirut’s creative identity after years of silence. “It’s been a long time coming,” Wehbe says. “We’re so happy to see this coming to life in Lebanon. It’s been years since something on such a scale happened here.”

Threads of life

This year’s theme, Threads of Life, extends across multiple installations and performances, from design exhibitions at the Roman Baths and Burj Al-Murr to collaborations at Villa Audi and the Abroyan Factory. Each site was chosen for its layered history and emotional charge. It started with the idea of a 50-year war.  “We wanted to revive spaces and places that have been forgotten and turn them into exhibition spaces people don’t normally have access to,” Wehbe explains.

Just stepping inside becomes an experience of rediscovery.

For Al-Ameen, the choice of venues is more than symbolic, it’s restorative. “Doing the exhibition there accelerated the construction of the buildings,” he says. These spaces tell our story. They give voices back to places silenced by war and bring them to life again. One of the exhibitions takes place in the Union Building, a structure that has been under renovation for nearly a decade and survived both the explosion and the economic collapse.

It’s art helping a city rebuild itself.

A cultural statement

The phrase We Design Beirut carries a deliberate provocation, a statement of ownership and accountability. “We can’t stand still and look around at the deterioration,” says Al-Ameen. “We have a responsibility to design our city the way it should be.” For Wehbe, it’s about culture as a form of resistance. “When you see someone dancing or creating, you forget where they’re from,” she says. “That’s how you break boundaries, through creativity and collaborations, through understanding.”

What began as a passion project has evolved into a collaborative network spanning artisans, architects, musicians, and students. Supported by the Swiss Development Corporation, this year’s edition connects designers and educators with traditional craftspeople from across Lebanon. Over time, they built a network from artisans connecting to designers, to architects, and universities.

Beyond borders

That chain stretches far beyond Lebanon’s borders. Participants from Qatar, UAE, Europe, and the diaspora are flying in to take part in the week’s events. “I want to be that kid on the playground again,” Wehbe says with a laugh. “The underprivileged kid from a crazy family who just wants to play with everyone. We’re creating dialogue. That’s all I want for now.”

But reviving Beirut’s design scene comes with challenges, both logistical and emotional. “Some venues had no electricity nor water,” Al-Ameen recalls. “We had to bring generators, rebuild spaces, work under torchlight.” Insurance companies refused coverage due to the instability, yet the team pressed on. “It’s not just drive,” Wehbe insists.

It’s a duty. If you have the capacity, in design, in education, in any field, you must get things moving.

Making peace with Beirut

Despite everything, optimism hums beneath the surface. For the founders, it’s the first time they see a spark in people’s eyes, with energy being the biggest reward. “Now, that spark is turning into a movement,” Al-Ameen says. They share a simple goal: to make people feel hope again. The aim of this project is for people to walk into a space and remember why life matters, why kindness, not war, is why this country is our home.

Al-Ameen adds softly,

We want people to make peace with Beirut, to see it for what it truly is: a place layered with dust, history, and beauty that needs to be uncovered.

As the city prepares to host one of its largest cultural events in years, We Design Beirut stands as proof that creativity can rebuild what politics and crisis have eroded. Beyond the installations and exhibitions, it’s a testament to Lebanon’s enduring artistry, to the belief that design here is not about luxury, but about survival.

“This is who we are,” Al-Ameen says. “Our hospitality, our creativity, our generosity, it’s all part of our narrative.” And through We Design Beirut, that narrative is being rewritten, not as tragedy, but as transformation.