BEIRUT highs and lows

Views of central Beirut is a selection of images from the documentation which i was commissioned to do between 2008 and 2011 by Solidere, the company in charge of the planning and redevelopment of Beirut central district. The central zone of the capital became heavily damaged during a civil war that lasted for more than fifteen years. The damage caused was either total structural collapse, partial collapse or at best, a full outer damage from bullets and shrapnel. My commission started in a later stage of the rebuilding when all destruction signs has been restored or flattened down. Although a big part of the buildings were saved and restored, large parts of the city was re-designed in modern architectural setups and some key historical locations and buildings were replicated like the past, to preserve some of the authenticity of Beirut's rich historical memory. The photography work of Gabriele Basilico which was published in the book ("BEIRUT 1991-2003" Baldini Castoldi Dalai Editore Inc) is a fascinating historical record of what the city center has suffered after long years of heavy and light armed continuous conflicts. Commissioned by Solidere in the early 1990s, Gabriele Basilico with Fouad El-Khoury, Raymond Depardon, René Burri, Josef Koudelka and Robert Frank were part of a collective photographic project of capturing an ultimate image of Beirut's city center ruins before the initial clear-out and rebuilding process began. 

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eastward view over Waygand st. In evidence is the Minaret of Al-Omari Mosque then comes the multi-domed Emir Mansour-Assaf Mosque. Named in honor of Umar ibn al-Khattab, Al-Omari mosque was initially a Crusader church. Occupied and reoccupied again and again by warring factions during the Crusades era, this mosque eventually rested in the hands of the Muslims in 1291. its interior sandstone walls are decorated in Mamluk and Ottoman inscriptions. Inside the mosque, a golden steel cage, a gift from Sultan Abdul Hamid II to Beirut, encircles a preserved shrine for John the Baptist.
 
View from Bab-Idriss into Beirut souks
southward view of Zaytuna-Bay marina from the roof of Four Seasons hotel.  Phoenicia hotel and S. Georges yacht club can be seen at the upper left and center
pool terrace of Le Gray hotel in Waygand st. Visible is the top of An-Nahar newspaper building
 
view from a hotel lobby into Hussein El Ahdab st. Nejmeh
east view from Beirut souks over Masaref st
Azarieh left and Al-Ameen Mosque right. from the Opera house at Gellas st
Nejmeh roundabout
View towards the west from Le Gray hotel on waygand st
from Zaytuna-Bay marina
sand and gravel pile during the water reclamaing development for the protective and public park Water-front of beirut city centre.
 
south view from Platinum tower. The abandonned Murr tower is visible in the centre
 
Holiday-Inn right and Murr Tower left, bothe edifices are still abandoned when this shot has been taken. Grander Beirut and Jabal-Lubnan is seen in the distant background.
 
North-east view towards eastern grander Beirut and Al'Matn mountains surrounding the capital. In the foreground is Minet-El-Hosn area and Zaytuna-bay marina to the bottom left. The Four Seasons hotel is in the centre then the reclaimed Beirut Waterfront directly behind it. Beirut port comes further to the right.
building site in Bab-Idriss area
Luxurious residential condominium in Wadi-Abu-Jmeel area.
Beirut Souks. The souks have historically been at the commercial heart of Beirut. They sustained irreparable damage during the 1970s 1980s war and were rebuilt according to the ancient Greek street grid, maintaining the landmarks and original street names but in a contemporary structural design. The design contest was won by José Rafael Moneo who designed the southern part of the souks and British architect Kevin Dash who designed the Gold souks.
reflection of Allenby st. in one of the adjascent shopping boutiques
southern view into Ahmad Shawki st. taken from the Grand Hyatt construction site
 
Starco center in Bab-Idriss
typical rooftop terrace of super central office buildings
Interior of a restored building in Riad-Al-Solh. staircase from the 1950s
 
Another beautiful Mediterranean roof terrace. Riad-El-Solh
the Roman baths vestiges in Kabbushieh "Capuchins" area. Church tower in front and the Grand Serail to the south "left of the picture"
Beirut Souks to the right on Waygand st. The souks (markets) have historically been at the commercial heart of Beirut. They sustained irreparable damage during the 1970s 1980s war and were rebuilt according to the ancient Greek street grid, maintaining the landmarks and original street names but in a contemporary structural design. The design contest was won by José Rafael Moneo who designed the southern part of the souks and British architect Kevin Dash who designed the Gold souks.
 
 
from Platinum tower a view into the east of grander Beirut. The abandonned Murr tower to the left
 
Le Gray hotel penthouse view
General view of residential building sites and Platinum tower. The Mediterranean in front vieled by air humidity and dust
 
taken from a construction site of a major 5 star hotel, visible next is a residential appartment building. A good example of extreme proximities between luxurious tourism and local  inhabitants. A key factor in the initial conceptual planning by Solidere.
Woman reading the Noble Quran during the month of Ramadan. Fouad Chehab road on the eastern front of the central district of Beirut.
Amir Munzer Mosque left in Masaref st, Riad-El-Solh. Man talking on the phone far right.
 
Offices on Waygand street heading south. Beirut Souks on the right
 
Residential complexes viewd from Grand Hyatt rooftop
Reflection of towers and skyline. Shot from a high rise building
Left, Mohammad Al Ameen "Allah's blessings and peace upon him" Grand Mosque. right, St. Georges Maronite Cathedral.  Closer in the foreground are Roman archeological digs.
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