Like in a box of chocolate, to wrap the space with a soft curved lining and to split the levels above and below — the sidewalk. The surface is simply made of a creamy concrete, like a white chocolate, on the walls and on the ceiling. The floor is a bit more crispy, with broken stones for a cast on site terrazzo. On the walls, chocolate arrangements are laid out in various scales in niches, preset to the sizes, like in a museum.
Programmatically, the upper mezzanine is accessed by a ramp reaching a private chocolate consultation space, for special events from marriages to various parties. On the lower level are the pre-packed options, the fill-it yourself and the babies section. On the left wall as you enter, a giant niche acts as a seasonal vitrine where every event is set up to its own theme and augmented with various systems of projections and hanging items.
Celebrating its return to Beirut, Blessing, after a long foray in the Arab world now celebrates its hometown that gave it birth and goes on counting its blessings.
Project Status: Under Construction.
Designed by Karim Nader with Dalia Bohsali and Soumer al-Kamand.