SHAMS
mia machaka
SHAMS, the pioneer for cultural NGOs in Lebanon since 1998, is a low-cost NGO that supports and nurtures performing artists of all fields by offering them a web of knowledge and connections. Designing their headquarters meant that I had to turn the whole space into performing spaces that can also double as places where performance-free interactions can take place (meetings, rehearsals…). The challenge here was to not confuse between stage and interior design which is why I opted for a point-based approach, meaning that I took specific instances within my space and developed their spatial potential in a way that is not too rigid nor too fluid. Performers have the complete freedom of choice when it comes to how they would use the instances and in what context as each intervention has its scale and specificities. Finally, the interventions would not be complete without the presence of the performers: It is a dialogue between the built space and the power of the physical body.