"Building in Lebanon is my way of taking a position with regard to the war." This statement by the French-Lebanese architect Youssef Tohme is key to getting into and grasping Intensive Beirut. This illustrated essay blends reflections on the urban development of the Lebanese capital with the experience gained on the projects of this architect-contractor, engaged in the effort to reopen the debate on architecture in his country. In a place where every situation is never more than a temporary state, the analysis of space is fundamental. The first part of the book examines Youssef Tohme's ideas, illustrated with 25 photos by Ziad Antar, a Lebanese visual artist-photographer. Equipped with a Holga and a Rollefleix, Antar has captured the architect's key projects - St. Joseph University in Beirut (designed with the office of 109 architects), the Villa T and the Villa M in Kornet Chehouane, and the Villa SC in Akoura. The second part, authored by Karine Dana, facilitated exchanges of ideas between Youssef Tohme and important figures of the Lebanese cultural scene such as the architect Tony Chakar, the artist Ziad Abilama and the singer Ahmed de Maschrou. Text in English and French.

Founded in 2008, the French-Lebanese firm of Youssef Tohme Architects and Associates has a delicate signature that takes the regional context as its starting point in developing an individual architectural language. By using a wide variety of materials that interact with the built environment, they create buildings that evolve over time alongside their inhabitants. The book documents twelve of the firm's projects - from a single-family home to a museum, including urban interventions in Beirut, Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, and Bucharest. The book also includes an essay that takes a comprehensive look at the working methods of this firm, focusing in particular on the dimension of time and the changes that occur as the buildings are used. Fonde en 2008, le cabinet Franco-Libanais Youssef Tohme Architectes et Associes part du "milieu" pour developper un langage architectural specifique a chaque projet. En utilisant des materiaux qui interagissent avec l'environnement bati, Youssef Tohme concoit des batiments qui evoluent dans le temps, avec leurs habitants. Ce livre documente douze des projets de l'agence - d'une maison unifamiliale a un musee, y compris des interventions urbaines a Beyrouth, Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille et Bucarest. L'ouvrage comprend egalement un essai (en francais et en anglais) qui porte un regard sensible et analytique sur les processus de conception. Il s'attarde notamment sur la dimension geo-temporelle des lieux, sur l'importance de sentir le "present" pour imaginer l'espace, et sur les changements qui s'operent au fur et a mesure de l'utilisation des batiments.