Castor is a residential building in Beirut, Lebanon designed by Michel Abboud for SOMA Architects in 2011.

1. Castor
by Michel Abboud

2. Two factors determined the paired buildings' angular façades: the site location
among built up small streets and blind alleys and the zoning regulations.

3. The structural ensemble that emerges is formed from two skins: an interior core
in tune with traditional architectural construction found regionally and a steel
exoskeleton wrapping the interior core.

4. The exoskeleton has a thin, light cable structure that serves as support for vines,
vertical "green" walls and landscaping.

5. This outer skin expertly screens the interior core and gives a unified identity to
both buildings as a whole, while ensuring that each building retains its own
character based on orientation and growth patterns.

7. This in effect yields three distinct layers: the interior core, the metallic skin, and
the dynamic bands of greenery that slink over the building, changing over time
and through the seasons.