The week that passed marked a year from the devasting blast in Beirut, the largest non-nuclear explosion ever recorded, which destroyed almost half the city of Beirut. The loss was enormous, with 216 dead, 6,500 injured, and thousands forced out of ruined homes. The city itself has not only lost its vibrancy, but it has lost hope. Every day, the people walk amongst twisted ruins reflective of their empty optimism that authorities will present a strategy to rebuild to return the spirit of Beirut to its streets.
After the devastation of WWII, it was the restoration of the cities that gave hope of rebuilding. The importance of such restoration projects substantiated the power that our surrounding built environment has on our collective psyche, and centre to that is the inclusivity of built heritage. Urban design needs to be inclusive of heritage to create a cultural Heritage Connection to give people a sense of belonging through collective memory.
Nearly three years on from the devastating fire of Notre Dame, I can not help but notice a difference in the world’s reaction as so many of us felt that collective memory of moments we have shared with Notre Dame. The international response to restoration was enormous, and rightly so, heritage teams from all over the world rallied to contribute and collaborate. (Heritage Updates 6 August 2021 for the full story).
This same collaborative world effort has been absent in rebuilding Beirut’s heritage, and maybe that is because that international collective memory was missing for many. Whatever the reason, the comparative of the world’s selective reaction to heritage protection is again highlighted as we of the present choose what is more important to protect and the absence of a more inclusive approach.
As we know, cities historical centres often circulate ports, and Beirut was no exception. With ground zero being the port of Beirut, most of the damage was sustained in the historical neighbourhoods with some 730 historical buildings, built between 1860 and 1930 damaged, of which 331 are incomplete devastation. Sursock Palace, built in 1860 by Moussa Sursock, was destroyed, and the Sursock Museum, which took 20 years to be fully restored after the civil war, also suffered extensive damage https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2020/aug/13/beirut-explosion-devastates-sursock-palace-and-museum-in-pictures
Today if you search for images of Beirut it is most likely pictures of the grain silos will appear first on your search engines. These Silos, an engineering feat of their time built between 1968 and 1970, stored 85% of Lebanon’s grains. These silos took the full force of the blast, their engineering enormity shielded the western part of the city, protecting it from more significant destruction. These silos, so part of Beirut’s skyline, now present a haunting image on the landscape one side looks pristine and the port side completed melted, reminiscent of Dali’s Persistence of Memory. The two sides of the silo, a tangible reminder of when time stood still and changed Beirut. The silos are no longer stable, and reports state they need to be demolished. The debate rages in Beirut as to whether these Silos should be demolished or preserved.
As Public Participation will be the driving force of re-building Beirut this will be a debate worth following. Unfortunately, in the absence of any cohesive government effort, the rebuilding and restoration decisions are currently the initiative of the public and the NGOs. One such NGO Beirut Heritage Inititiative which is slowly and painstakingly restoring one building at a time. This work should not just be admired but applauded as it takes the forward step to race against time to save Beirut’s Heritage. Beirut Heritage Initiative details on its website each project, the architects and collaborative efforts. Visit the website to see how you can help or whether you can contribute to a collaborative effort or contact me directly.
Dia Mrad is a Lebanese photographer based in Beirut who specialises in interiors and architecture photography has captured some truly incredible images. I encourage everyone to visit his site to view his immersive exhibition and support his work. https://www.diamrad.com/
The rebuilding of Beirut again shows that heritage is more than just saving buildings. The preservation and restoration of heritage in an urban landscape contributed to the spirit of a city, heritage buildings accommodate the whispers in the winds of those familiar streets that give life to our cities. Unfortunately, when those streets are unrecognisable and those buildings are rubble, that spirit and hope are also absent. Heritage restoration is key in re-establishing that collective memory we share of cities that connect us. I write with optimism that the people of Beirut continue to reconnect with their beautiful city and that the world will give support to the heritage of Beirut.
COPYRIGHT BUILT ENVIRONMENTAL HERITAGE GROUP 2024
