Lecture by Maroun El-Daccache, chair, department of Architecture and Design SArD - LAU, entitlted “Project for Beirut Port: RECONNECT THE CITY”, room E, 11:30 am on 30th of May.
"The destruction that occurred on August 4, 2020, made us once again to review the components of the city in general and the affected area in particular to reveal the historical phases of the city, which are based on its social, economic and architectural fabric to develop a contemporary design vision for the devastated area of Beirut city.
The lecture discusses the recent project that we developed for the Port of Beirut and its relationship with the city, by reconsidering the waterfront of Karantina area, the city-center, Mar Mikhael area, Gemmayzeh, Charles Helou station, the Archeological area and the Silos and their relationship with the Port and their impact on the architectural and urban vision.
The intervention aims is to propose an integrated project as a result of civic and social factors and changes in the port area and its surroundings, within a new perspective for the city’s development. The real dilemma is that cities are no longer a source for the function and economic needs of the community, but rather a false economic structure based only on mass consumerism. In a destroyed city, the problem for citizens is the memory, the loss of objects and landmarks. This “nostalgic logic” has conditioned many reconstructions of post-war cities. But rebuilding the exact “city image” before the destruction means erasing an episode of history, because even destruction can become a moment of reflection and self-criticism."
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