2022 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

Here’s To Beirut is relevant for direct because it celebrates targeted and response-driven creativity. This case shows how a strong insight into Lebanese resilience combined with the chaotic consequence of the explosion gave birth to a new form of donation campaign - away from the traditional approaches of most NGOs. As a result, a bold strategy to engage specific target audience groups to inspire action enabled effective impact on a donation campaign to achieve the ultimate goal: rebuild Beirut’s heritage buildings destroyed by the explosion.

Background

On August 4th 2020, an explosion shook Beirut. The blast physically shook the whole country of Lebanon. It was felt in Turkey, Syria, Palestine, and Israel as well as parts of Europe, and was heard in Cyprus, more than 240 km away. It was one of the most powerful man-made, non-nuclear explosions in history. It caused 218 deaths, 7,000 injuries, and left an estimated 300,000 people homeless. The human cost was unimaginable. Hidden behind this terrible crisis is another, smaller – but still meaningful loss: the blast destroyed a large part of Downtown Beirut, including more than 640 of the city’s heritage buildings, leaving behind tons of shattered glass. Beautiful buildings collapsed, were burnt down or were damaged in the explosion and its ensuing fire. The areas hardest hit by the explosion, such as Gemmayzeh, Mar Mikhael and Ashrafieh, also had the highest concentration of historic structures in Beirut.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

The Lebanese had already lost so much. The Beirut Heritage Initiative wanted to fight to help them preserve their heritage, culture, and architecture. The BHI is an independent collective. They had the skills and the will. The problem was that they did not have the funds. The answer came in true Lebanese resilient spirit: by finding an ingenious way to make something good out of the rubble of this terrible disaster. A simple donation campaign would just get lost in all the noise surrounding the blast and the many (often more urgent) causes that needed funds. Hundreds of tons of glass were shattered in the explosion. What if we could turn this broken glass into something new – something representative of Beirut’s unbreakable spirit? We launched “Here’s to Beirut” – an initiative that makes and sells handmade drinking glasses made of recycled glass collected from Beirut’s historical buildings.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

The Lebanese had already lost so much. Architecture is more than bricks and stones – it is a core part of a city’s identity, an expression of its people and its culture. And this is why The Beirut Heritage Initiative (BHI) wanted to act and help rebuild and renovate the damaged buildings. But how could we do that without taking away from the funds needed to help the people? A simple donation campaign would just get lost in all the noise surrounding the blast and the many (often more urgent) causes that needed funds. The answer came in true Lebanese resilient spirit: by finding an ingenious way to make something good out of the rubble of this terrible disaster. Hundreds of tons of glass were shattered in the explosion. What if we could turn this broken glass into something new – something representative of Beirut’s unbreakable spirit?

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

Why glasses? Because everyone buying those glasses should drink to Beirut’s good health and to a more peaceful future for its people and its neighbourhoods. In collaboration with one of the oldest glass factories in Lebanon, the glasses were hand-printed and placed in handmade Zain wooden boxes inspired by Beirut’s traditional window facades. Each glass was imprinted with a gold filigran that says “Beirut never breaks”. These limited-edition sets can be purchased online at HeresToBeirut.com and delivered worldwide. All proceeds go to the restoration efforts led by BHI. Instead of creating a generic donation campaign, BHI wanted to inspire people by instilling a sense of optimism in a chaotic situation, and offer a chance for everyone in the region to contribute by purchasing a collectible item.

List the results (30% of vote)

The special edition glasses were displayed in venues around the world including at Expo 2020 - playing a key role in raising the profile of Beirut’s architectural heritage, not just in the country but internationally. The bigger and most meaningful result though is that the renovation journey has begun. BHI has organized its efforts and workflow into 3 phases: emergency propping and sheltering of houses, partial repairs and full restorations, and a vision for urban regeneration. One building has been fully restored thanks to this initiative, 7 have been consolidated or partially restored (with the support of other local partners) and more are on their way. Let’s continue rebuilding Beirut’s heritage one glass at a time. If you’d like to contribute, you can support the initiative at https://herestobeirut.com/ Shukran. Merci. Thank you.