Location: Batroun, Lebanon
Project size: 4,370 square feet
Program: This secondary residence for an art collector and his family is located along the Lebanese coast in Batroun, about 30 miles north of Beirut.
Design Solution: In Villa Papillon, New York–based WORKac rethinks the relationship between art, architecture, and landscape. Faceted in form, this beachside abode offers views of the Mediterranean Sea from nearly every room. The main living space and primary bedroom directly face the water, while the family room, dining room, and kitchen look out to it through a central, open-air courtyard that doubles as circulation space. (On the second floor, the children’s bedrooms peek out over a green roof.) At the rear, solid walls fronting a public walkway ensure privacy.
The ground-floor common areas are organized by a series of walls running perpendicular to the shore, which allow the owner to showcase his extensive art collection. Some of these walls become objects in their own right, through form or materiality, while still containing storage or accommodating domestic infrastructure.
![Villa Papillon by WORKac](/ext/resources/*Featured%20Houses/November%202023/Papillion%20Pavillion/Work-Ac-4.jpg)
Photo © Miguel de Guzmán and Rocío Romero
Structure and Materials: A triangular tectonic runs continuously across the building, patio, pools, and surrounding landscape. Louvered steel and aluminum trellises continue this language, strategically shading the courtyard in the summer and warming it in winter. Interior materials, such as artfully figured stone or a bright yellow staircase coated in epoxy resin, add richness and color.
Additional Information
Completion date: October 2022
Site size: 0.154 acres
Total construction cost: Withheld
Client/Owner: Tony Salamé
![Villa Papillon by WORKac](/ext/resources/*Featured%20Houses/November%202023/Papillion%20Pavillion/WorkAC-papillion-pavillion-12.webp)
1
![Villa Papillon by WORKac](/ext/resources/*Featured%20Houses/November%202023/Papillion%20Pavillion/WorkAC-papillion-pavillion-9.webp)
2
![Villa Papillon by WORKac](/ext/resources/*Featured%20Houses/November%202023/Papillion%20Pavillion/WorkAC-papillion-pavillion-1.webp)
3
![Villa Papillon by WORKac](/ext/resources/*Featured%20Houses/November%202023/Papillion%20Pavillion/WorkAC-papillion-pavillion-2.webp)
4
![Villa Papillon by WORKac](/ext/resources/*Featured%20Houses/November%202023/Papillion%20Pavillion/WorkAC-papillion-pavillion-8.webp)
5
![Villa Papillon by WORKac](/ext/resources/*Featured%20Houses/November%202023/Papillion%20Pavillion/WorkAC-papillion-pavillion-7.webp)
6
Photos © Miguel de Guzmán and Rocío Romero
![Villa Papillon by WORKac](/ext/resources/*Featured%20Houses/November%202023/Papillion%20Pavillion/WorkAC-papillion-pavillion-4.webp)
1
![Villa Papillon by WORKac](/ext/resources/*Featured%20Houses/November%202023/Papillion%20Pavillion/WorkAC-papillion-pavillion-5.webp)
2
![Villa Papillon by WORKac](/ext/resources/*Featured%20Houses/November%202023/Papillion%20Pavillion/WorkAC-papillion-pavillion-6.webp)
3
![Villa Papillon by WORKac](/ext/resources/*Featured%20Houses/November%202023/Papillion%20Pavillion/WorkAC-papillion-pavillion-3.webp)
4
Images courtesy WORKac; click to enlarge
Credits
Architect
WORKac
156 Ludlow, Floor 3
New York, NY 10002
+1 212-228-1333
www.work.ac
Project team
Principals: Amale Andraos, Dan Wood
Project architect: Maurizio Bianchi Mattioli
Design team: Eyub Acikgoz, Zahid Ajam, Nevin Blum, Nathalia Galindo, Ericka Song
General Contractor
Jamil Saab & Co
Photographers
Miguel de Guzmán, Rocío Romero
Specifications
Structural System
Post-tension slabs and roof: Derviche Haddad Ppb Structures Sal CCL
Exterior Cladding
Precast concrete: 900 PROJECT (mechanically fixed pure cement agglomerate slabs color Extrawhite Bush Hammered Brushed)
Moisture barrier: Isomat
Windows
Metal frame: CAPOFERRI SERRAMENTI (custom stainless-steel louvers and motorized sliding windows)
Interior Finishes
Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: TONCELLI
Paints and stains: Benjamin Moore
Solid surfacing: Officine Marmi Italia (onyx, copper, marble)
Floor and wall tile: MAGRI PARQUET (teak burma wood floor, brushed and varnished)
Special interior finishes unique to this project: Custom epoxy resin painted steel staircase and lacquered wood walls
Lighting
Interior ambient lighting: ERCO, ZUMTOBEL