People are taking the preservation of Lebanese architecture into their own hands
The Civil War caused the destruction and abandonment of several Lebanese houses, but now people are starting to take steps in order to save these historical buildings.
Henry Lucien, 41 year old family father living in Batroun, is one of these people. His project, or as he calls it, his “Dream”, started in 2010.
“It was during that year that I first entered such an old house. I immediately felt a strong connection with it.”
His “Dream” involves buying traditional architectural elements and furniture from old Lebanese houses that are about to be demolished and reincorporate them into new buildings. Up until now, he has worked on two projects: the creation of a house in Batroun, in which he lives with his family, and a small apartment in the Ashrafieh district in Beirut which he uses when he has to stay in the city for work.
“This year marked the 100th house from which I recovered tiles, columns, arches and furniture such as beds or tables,” he said.
To honour this occasion he is planning on transforming his house in Batroun into a museum, in which he will showcase items recovered in the last few years from different buildings.
“I hope to inspire others to do the same,” he said. “These houses are now reserved only for the rich, but with a little effort even a simple man like myself can live 100% traditionally.”
Dr. Maroun El Daccache, Chair of the department of Architecture and Design at the Lebanese American University, underlines the historical value of old buildings.
“They reflect the society of their time, their background and their economical condition,” he said, emphasising how important it is for students to study the old buildings of Lebanon.
“If you study the old, you can understand how it developed into modernity, into the present.”
Professor El Daccache underlines that old architecture is important, but should remain a thing of the past.
“If you build something based on older architecture you fall into falsification. It does not belong in the future, as it does not represent it. Architecture must always mirror the current moment in which it is being build.”
Nastazia Ismail, third year architecture student at LAU has a different opinion from her professor. In fact, once she graduates, Nastazia plans on working traditional elements into her projects, uniting the present modern style with traditional architecture. This goes against the tendency of LAU to work on projects mostly linked to modern architecture.
“It is so sad to see such beautiful buildings being torn down. They represent our culture, our history, and should therefore be protected,” she said. “Maybe one day I will have enough money to be able to restore them.”
The aforementioned people aren’t the only ones caring about historical buildings in Lebanon.
AKK Architects, an architect studio lead by Annabel Karim Kassar, presented in 2017 “Handle with Care”, a project which involves the restoration of a 19th-century house on Rue Gouraud in the Gemmayzeh district in Beirut. Works are still in progress and once finished the 750m2 apartment will be used as a home by Annabel Karim Kassar herself.
Famous Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab did something similar too, when he commissioned architect Chakib Richani to restore an early 20th-century house again located in Gemmayzeh, for himself and his wife.
The most famous of all examples is probably the Barakat Building, known also as the “Yellow House”. Build in 1924, it became the frontline of the Civil War and suffered severe damage from it.
In 2012 its renovation began, costing a total of $18 million and transforming it into the museum Beit Beirut.
There are no updated studies on the issue, but a statistic released in 1997 estimated the number of heritage properties inside the city of Beirut around 572. If Henry Lucien’s numbers are right, then from around one hundred of these were destroyed only in the last nine years.
Government-backed restorations would help prevent the loss of these historical buildings, but Beit Beirut presents a rare case in an economical situation that worsens from day to day and that leaves no space for non-strictly-necessary interventions from the state.
Luckily trends show that private owners are more and more keen in keeping these treasures alive, providing hope for the preservation of Lebanese history.
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Authors: Isabel Demetz and Tarek El Daccache
Interview Sources:
Nastazia Ismail, 3rd year architecture student at LAU
Henry Lucien, shop owner in Beirut
Documentary Sources:
1. http://annabelkassar.com/projects/traditional-lebanese-houses
2. https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/saving-beiruts-crumbling-heritage-ime/index.html
3. https://www.beirut.com/l/51910
4. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/saab-article