An old building under renovation in the Ras Beirut area, taken on Saturday, 21st of November

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/8417/dsc00416r.jpg

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/9122/dsc00417h.jpg

^^ very good :banana:
we need to renovate the facades of the buildings in that area (in verdun, hamra too) in order to give beirut a proper facelift !!!!

^^ Another picture, for me what makes it looks discusting is that rotten fence, they need to remove it!
courtesy of xavier
http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af121/Nadini2345/090923_beirut_33.jpg

Random buildings under renovation

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/7568/dsc00616b.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/1403/dsc00620q.jpg

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/3921/dsc00621j.jpg

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/5747/dsc00622h.jpg

The Savoy Suites, near the future Sky Garden, under renovation

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/7985/dsc00600a.jpg

The Cola area is starting to look like Cairo!

Starting to look like Cairo ?? you could only wish, it's more like Kabul i would say

^^ I have to say that Cola area is very chaotic, but well, all Beirut is not BCD, I hope they will do something with the neighbourhoods like this one, because a lot of streets in Beirut today look really ugly :ohno:

indeed at least half of these neighborhoods should be entirely demolished, not even renovated, but gone forever

Starting to look like Cairo ?? you could only wish, it's more like Kabul i would say

Every city has it's slums, you guys are exaggerating this...

haha you are right. This specific area is chaotic, because of the bus "stations", but when you walk the streets behind Shams Beirut (the u/c building), it's pretty much organised. It's just that most of builds are pre-war, but that's not a problem.

This part of Beirut is not beautiful, they could make an entire renovation of the streets, sidewalks, plant trees, paint facades, remove the ugly plastic curtains from the balconies and put something similar for all the buildings, etc.

Beirut1986, man thank youuuuuuuu for bringing up the ugly plastic curtains issue, i swear this is the ugliest thing you could ever see in Lebanon, no matter how beautiful a building could be those damn ugly curtains make it look terrible and more like a refugee building...

And Neoxsparkx, you are right every city has its slums but there are so many slums in Beirut and someone needs to do something about it, I am not asking for an entire city that looks as good and sophisticated as the downtown ( although that would be a dream come true ) but at least some organization so that i don't feel that my capital still has 3rd world features into it ...

You people need to go out an walk in Beirut! Except Ouzai, I don't know any place that looks like a slum. Every city has poor/popular district, and rich/beautiful district.

The whole Ras Beirut, including Verdun, Hamra, Unesco, Rawche, Ramlet el bayda areas, Achrafieh, Downtown, Mathaf, Mazraa, Dahieh (yes, Dahieh), Spinneys, Jnah, are well organised. The main issue is traffic. So can I know which parts of Beirut you are reffering to when you say "there are so many slums in Beirut" ?

Leb.fr for god's sake make come on, if we do love our city we don't have to blind ourselves to the truth, and pretend it's perfect, Dahieh isn't a slum ? then i don't know what your definition of the word slum is, there is a street parallel to Ghbaire in front of Refugee camp sabra, that looks exactly like the camp and even worse i could say, Tari2 jdide isn't a slum ? ras el nabe3 isn't a slum, ouza3i, even inside ashrafiye itself there are some streets that look terrible. half the buildings in Beirut are illegal, you can't find a single tree in those areas, the roads need to be paved, so seriously a lot of work needs to be done.. not to mention that beside the ugly old and illegally built buildings, there are a lot of new buildings that look as horrible, and we have many examples in this forum... so yeah i want every single inch of Beirut to look great, am not satisfied with ordinary..

Living in Beirut, i think most people develop selective vision where they only see the nice new things while glancing over all the chaos, i know i did. Returning to Beirut after living abroad for a few years i was just horrified! the disorder and chaos every where, i could no longer differentiate between "nice" areas and lower income sectors. to me it seemed like one big claustrophobic concrete mess with wires, antennas, dishes, balcony curtains, everything... it was just overwhelming. That said, Beirut has indeed undergone a beautiful transformation in recent years but the whole city needs a makeover not just a few streets downtown and by the sea front. most beirutis don't live there. there needs to be a comprehensive plan to revamp all the decaying structures and to remove the illegal stuff... it has potential, but alot of work is needed...

Ras-el-Nabieh is not a slum neither is the Dahiyeh. Slums are places like Ouazia, and a few selected places in every neigbhorhood in Beirut. No entire Neighborhood in Beirut is a slum. Some may look a slum like cornciche-al-mazraa(which needs serious renovation) because the buildings are not maintained at all, and are rotting. Even though the people living inside are middle and even upper class; but keep the Arab mentality and dont care to take care of the building. I know many middle and wealthy class family's but the outside of their builiding in the mazraa looks like shit!! Thats why this government of ours needs to do something about the problem of horribly kept buildings, becuase the owners will not do anything about it. Maybe pass a law, or something, because the situation is getting worse.

Taken on Wednesday, 2nd of December
This building is located near caracas tower and yasmin tomer

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/4392/burmanara.jpg

Taken on Wednesday, 2nd of December
These 2 buildings are located in Achrafieh, near Le Patio

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/8659/bur.jpg

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/3948/bur2.jpg

Hamra main street

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/8779/dsc00852d.jpg

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/160/dsc00853u.jpg

Hamra
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/3369/dsc00855g.jpg

Hamra, right next to Shayboub Tower, workers were on the site renovating the building from the inside
http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/3299/dsc00846o.jpg

I didn't know they were planning to renovate the ABC building in Dbayeh, it will surely look amazing

After submitting a preliminary design in January 2008, nARCHITECTS was selected in May 2009 out of 25 architects as the designers of a new building envelope for the 300,000sf ABC Dbayeh store in Beirut. The new facades will be a backlit metallic screen, functioning both to shade the existing building and provide a new identity for Lebanon’s most prominent department store. The project is expected to complete construction in 2010.

http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af121/Nadini2345/nA_ABC_5607.jpg

finally about the ABC dbayeh rennovation!!! I also felt it looked so ugly, with those giant paintings on it, and its lifeless box shape. The design is weird, like its still a box, but metallic? lol Can't wait to see it, especially if they do complete it this year.

I think its awesome IMO, well the ABC department store, I think it will be completed this year it has been under renovation since last year, the building is covered in a nice pictures not in that green net.

St. Vincent De Paul Church

http://sherlex.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/090112_stvincent-exterior.jpg

http://sherlex.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/090112_stvincent-columns.jpg

http://sherlex.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/090112_stvincent-nave.jpg

whats the name of that building?

it states it above Saint Vincent De Paul Church!

Alot of buildings in Beirut are 60s/70s vintage high/mid rise apartment buildings of a mediteranian style. Just because many might need a little attention and there is little green space does not make them slums. It might be a big contrast to the leafy suburbs of Hamburg or Stockholm but not to Athens or Naples. Its crazy to suggest they all need to be pulled down just because some of them are needing improvement. Where would the money to rebuild these neighbourhoods come from? When the Dahieh and Haret Hreik was bombed in 2006 people here were appalled because what they saw was pictures of modern, inner-city neighbourhoods of a familliar style viciously smashed to bits.
Money needs to be spent on proper paving (nothing fancy) and beautification of working class suburbs.

^^ Martyr, am very interested in that building (the Greek Melkite Catholic Bishopric). If ur gonna take pictures of it by urself, can u please take them from all around the building (no need to post them all akid, w iza ma fiya te2li ye3ni :)). The reason am asking is that I want to model it, along with the Hariri mosque, so we can have a mosque and a church on GE in Saida too. ;) (I donno if that Bishopric will count for a church though! but anyway...)
Thanx man...

Wait, is this thread about buildings UNDER renovation, or buildings u WISH to see renovated?! At the exception of Nadini's picture (which is redesign and not renovation also, but well...), this page is full of none topic related buildings! (unless am missing something).

This thread is about buildings under renovation. At least that was the original purpose.

Saint vincent is slated for renovation. They might even have begun!

I took these pics about a month ago.

http://i41.tinypic.com/mls1me.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/10nrghu.jpg

Thanx for clarifying. And the Mar Mansour Church will look lovely, am sure. It's so relieving to know they decided to renovate it.
Can't wait for it to finish, so I can model it...too! :|

i noticed a couple of buildings on the seafront of the Old City being renovated, and the Greek Melkite Catholic Bishopric is completely restored now and its reaaaaaaaaalllly looking amazing !!! i'll do my best to get some pics soon :D

^^ Martyr, am very interested in that building (the Greek Melkite Catholic Bishopric). If ur gonna take pictures of it by urself, can u please take them from all around the building (no need to post them all akid, w iza ma fiya te2li ye3ni :)). The reason am asking is that I want to model it, along with the Hariri mosque, so we can have a mosque and a church on GE in Saida too. ;) (I donno if that Bishopric will count for a church though! but anyway...)
Thanx man...

ok, there's the catholic bishopric and there's the catholic church and they're right next to each other so u can model both of them if u want, cuz i dont think u can consider the bishopric a church !!! :P
u can find a couple of pics in the saida thread in the "lebanese towns and villages" subforum, hala2 ana i dont have a camera bas i will do my best to get some pics... !!!

^^ eh i always wanted to ask, did anyone model the seacastle yet ??

^^ Thanx I checked them and they are fine (not sufficient though) . And although this is the (totally) wrong thread to answer ur question, but no, not yet, cuz the guy who was supposed to just disappeared. You can post and "revive" the topic in the appropriate thread. ;)

La SCCC clarifie certains points au sujet de l’ancien Holiday Inn
11/06/2010

www.lorient-lejour.com


Liban - Immobilier
Au cours d'une conférence de presse organisée mercredi, Fahad Alajmi, PDG de la compagnie St. Charles Civil Center Co. (SCCC), propriétaire du bâtiment abritant anciennement l'hôtel Holiday Inn et actuellement à l'état de ruines, a fait le point sur la situation du groupe. Affirmant que la santé financière de SCCC était bonne, et que la nouvelle administration de la compagnie avait résolu la plupart des problèmes d'ordre administratif ou financier rencontrés par le passé, il a déclaré que le projet de réhabilitation du bâtiment était en cours. S'abstenant de fournir plus d'informations ou d'estimations concernant le coût ou la durée des travaux, M. Alajmi a annoncé qu'une étude « était en cours » afin de déterminer si le bâtiment, très abîmé pendant la guerre civile, devait être détruit puis reconstruit, ou entièrement rénové. Par ailleurs, le PDG a annoncé que les actionnaires de la compagnie SCCC avaient à 54 % voté en faveur de l'augmentation de son capital, sans toutefois fournir de chiffres ou d'informations concernant les actionnaires principaux du groupe, composé « d'investisseurs koweïtiens et de Libanais ».


Translation by microsoft translate (gives you the essence of the story even if it is not perfect:

The SCCC clarifies some points for former Holiday Inn
11/06/2010


Fahad Alajmi, CEO of the company St. Charles Civil Center Co. (SCCC), owner of the building housing the Hotel Holiday Inn formerly and currently in ruins, State Press Conference has been on the situation of group. Affirming that the financial health of SCCC was good, and that the new administration of the company had solved most problems encountered in the past financial or administrative order, he said that the rehabilitation of the building project was underway. Failure to provide more information or estimates regarding the cost or the duration of the work, M. Alajmi announced that a study "was in progress" and determine whether the building very damaged during the civil war, should be destroyed and then rebuilt or renovated. Furthermore, CEO announced that shareholders of the company SCCC had 54% voted in favour of an increase in its capital, without however providing figures or information concerning major shareholder group, "Kuwaiti investors and Lebanese.

Does anyone have pics of how the St. Vincent de Paul church was before destruction?

وزير الثقافة يوقف هدم 5 بيوت تراثية ويدرج قصري زيادة وحنينة في لائحة الجرد _ جريدة النهار


لحين اقرار مشروع "قانون حماية المباني والمواقع التراثية" الذي لا يزال نائما في ادراج مجلس النواب، وفي محاولة لانقاذ ما تبقى من البيوت التراثية في بيروت، استخدم وزير الثقافة سليم وردة سلاحه الامضى في معركته لحفظ ذاكرة المدينة وهويتها وهو الادراج في قائمة الجرد العام . فقد وقع بتاريخ 9 حزيران 2010 القرار رقم 56 القاضي بادخال العقارين رقم 614 و 622 في منطقة زقاق البلاط اللذين يقوم عليهما "قصر زيادة" و"قصر حنينة" في لائحة الجرد العام للابنية التاريخية " ليس لأهميتهما التراثية والمعمارية ذات الطابع الارستقراطي المعبر عن ذوق وتقنيات حقبة من تاريخ العمارة المدينية فحسب، وانما ايضا لقيمتهما الرمزية والتخطيطية بحيث يشكلان، ضمن النسيج التراثي المترابط لمنطقة زقاق البلاط ، شهادة لمرحلة تاريخية مهمة (النصف الثاني من القرن التاسع عشر) حفلت بالتحولات الاقتصادية والسياسية والهندسية والثقافية ، ولارتباطهما في المراحل اللاحقة ( عصر النهضة) برجالات واحداث تاريخية" . ومنع كذلك "القيام بأي عمل من شأنه تغيير الوضع الحالي للعقارين المذكورين والمبنيين القائمين عليهما، من دون موافقة مسبقة من المديرية العامة للآثار على الاعمال المنوي اجراؤها والمواد المنوي استعمالها".

http://www.annahar.com/media/images/Fri_pix/beea/p13-02-24084.jpg

قصر حنينة
في "اليوم الوطني للتراث" الذي احتفل به لبنان في 20 أيار الفائت كان قصر حنينة نقطة البداية في المشوار الذي نظمته " المؤسسة الوطنية للتراث" بين معالم منطقة زقاق البلاط ومبانيها التراثية بعنوان " من الابجدية الى النهضة: دروب وشخصيات" . يعود بناؤه الى العام 1880 ووضع تصميمه الداخلي الاستثنائي احد النبلاء الروس الذين قطنوا في بيروت. يتألف من طابقين، ومبني من حجر بيروت الرملي، وتراوح سماكة حيطانه بين 28 – 30 سنتيمترا، ولا يزال يحتفظ بقناطره الخارجية والداخلية ، وشبابيكه الزجاجية، ودرجه الداخلي المزنر بدرابزون من الحديد المشغول، وبسقفه المكسو بالخشب المحفور، وببلاطه من الرخام الابيض المكحل بالاسود، وبسطحه المغطى بالقرميد الاحمر. ويتمتع ايضا بقيمة معنوية لناحية استخدامه والاشخاص الذين سكنوه.
تعود ملكيته الى آل مزهر الذين أجّروا طابقه الاول الى الطبيب الفرنسي البروفسور جاستن كالميت الذي كان يعلم في جامعة القديس يوسف بين العامين 1903 و1914، ثم تحول مركزا للقنصلية الهولندية وبعدها مركزا لأول قنصلية للولايات المتحدة الاميركية في الشرق الاوسط مدة 11 عاما بين العامين 1922 و1931. وفي العام 1936 سكنته ابنة العائلة ماري مزهر زوجة الطبيب جوزف حنينة الذي صار البيت يعرف باسمه، وادارت فيه "مطعم القصر الصغير" بين العامين 1968 و 1970 تاريخ وفاتها، ليبقى الطابق مهجورا ومقفلا.
وفي العام ذاته تم تأجير الطابق الثاني الى جورج حداد وزوجته الاديبة والرسامة ماري شيحا ، وتحول منذ العام 1940 مركزا اساسيا للاجتماعات الروحية التي كان يجريها الدكتور داهش الذي كان يدعي النبوة واسس مذهبا على اسمه يدعى "الداهشية" . وكانت مجموعته الفنية الكبيرة موجودة في هذا المنزل ثم نقلت بالكامل الى نيويورك لتؤسس " متحف داهش". ولا تزال زينة حداد ابنة جورج وماري حداد والبالغة من العمر 88 عاما تسكن في هذا البيت الذي لم تغادره ابدا.
تتوزع ملكية البيت حاليا بين 4 شركاء هم: عضو بلدية بيروت السابق سعد الدين الوزان، ووهيب علي غيث، وحلمي علي قبيسي وكارولين معربس. ولم يسمح احدهم بفتح الطابق الاول امام الناس في " اليوم الوطني للتراث" رغم كتاب وزير الثقافة في هذا الشأن.
http://www.annahar.com/media/images/Fri_pix/beea/p13-03-24084.jpg

قصر زيادة
قد لا يتمتع قصر زيادة بالاهمية المعنوية ذاتها، لكنه من دون شك يوازي قصر حنينة المجاور من الناحية الهندسية والمعمارية. بني في اواخر العام 1860 ، ويتألف من طابقين وثالث ارضي من العقد تحوطه حديقة صغيرة، ويتبع الاسلوب التقليدي في التصميم الداخلي باعتماد البهو المركزي والشرفات المزينة بالاعمدة والقناطر. بناه المهندس الايطالي ألتينا، واشتراه التاجر يوسف نصر بعيد عودته من بريطانيا في العام 1870. وفي العام 1930 اشتراه منه قريباه الطبيب جوزف زيادة وشقيقه لويس وعرف من يومها بقصر زيادة، وعاش فيه اولادهما حتى العام 1975، وآخرهم كان اسكندر زيادة. وعند بداية الحرب اللبنانية هجّر منه اهله واحتله مهجرون، ويملك حصة كبيرة منه اليوم الشريكان نفسهما في قصر حنينة، سعد الدين الوزان ووهيب علي غيث.

وقف الهدم
من ناحية ثانية تتواصل الملاحقات من مديرية الآثار لوقف اعمال هدم البيوت التراثية التي تتلاحق بسرعة. فقد ارسل الوزير وردة كتابا الى وزير الداخلية والبلديات زياد بارود طلب فيه "الايعاز الى من يلزم بوقف عمليات الهدم" في العقارات رقم 99 في مونو والمدرج في "لائحة الابنية المجمد هدمها في نطاق مدينة بيروت" ضمن المجموعة "C" وحيث بدأت اعمال التفكيك تحضيرا لهدم المبنى، و98 في مونو ايضا حيث اتت اعمال الهدم على الطابقين العلويين الثالث والرابع، و514 و2059 في منطقة السيوفي في الاشرفية حيث نصبت التجهيزات الميدانية من سقالات وتلبيس شبكة حماية تحضيرا للهدم، وطلب كذلك " اتخاذ التدابير القانونية المناسبة في حق كل من تسبب في المخالفات الحاصلة، مع التشديد على اصحاب العلاقة بضرورة المبادرة الى اتخاذ الاجراءات اللازمة لمنع تدهور حالة المباني والعمل على تدعيمها وترميمها بالتنسيق مع مديرية الآثار".
واحال الوزير بارود الكتاب على محافظ بيروت " للافادة فورا بعد التقيد بكتاب وزير الثقافة". وبالفعل اوقفت القوى الامنية اعمال الهدم القائمة في هذه العقارات. ولكن الى متى؟ وماذا وأين بعد؟ ومتى يفرج عن "قانون حماية المباني التراثية" من مجاهل اللجان النيابية والكباش السياسي؟

مي عبود أبي عقل

^^ this was the first title that caught my eye while flipping through the pages, It made made day :D


Briefly, the article tells of the conservation efforts undertaken by culture minister Selim wardeh. he recently halted the demolition of two grand mansions in the zkak el blat neighborhood, the Hnayneh and the Ziade mansions. The article proceeds with describing the very distinctive architecture of the Hnayne and the Ziade palaces and some history of the occupant. Finally the article alludes to the importance of issuing a law for protecting the Lebanese architectural heritage, the draft being stuck in the labyrinths of parliamentary commissions.

I took this in Verdun on Aug. 4, 2010:

http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af347/dharma815/mini-P8040172.jpg

Phoenicia after renovating the facade.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/4999364994_20fe65c1d3_b.jpg

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/greathomesanddestinations/18location.html?_r=1

Courtesy of Karim Saad
Taken December 27

http://i52.tinypic.com/n5spkm.jpg

http://i56.tinypic.com/2i93rxj.jpg

http://i53.tinypic.com/2czhvb.jpg

Before and after
Courtesy of Beiruti
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/7484/courtesy.jpg

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3003/dsc04117au.jpg

^^ Why call it Lancaster suites? Is it named after the boring little town in the north of England?

^^ Not sure, but there is a Lancaster Hotel around the corner.

Yes there is. i was having lunch at burger king the other day and i noticed it.

Ive noticed the Bristol Hotel aswell. I would understand something named after Paris, Berlin, Vienna or even Sarajevo. But some nowhere regional English town!??

The Gathering restaurant, Gemmayze




If you are looking for a food review, you’re on the wrong blog my friend.

Every now and then we will try to mention a restaurant, school, prison or any place that deserves a spotlight on its spatial quality.

Located on the calmer side of Gemmayze (Pasteur Street), this place takes on three traditional Lebanese houses renovated in a tasteful way, each devoted to a deferent service: a pub, a steak house and an Italian kitchen, all connected by one open terrace.

http://www.109architectes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/IMG_07361-768x1024.jpg

This use of a generous plot in one of Beirut’s most expensive zones makes you wonder why the buildings aren’t being replaced by something more profitable. It’s sad to say we’re becoming more and more accepting of boring multimillion dollar high-rises replacing our heritage. I don’t know what the reasons are behind keeping these buildings intact – at least for the time being – but cheers to the person who cleaned the dust off these three jewels, reminding us what a charming place Beirut can still be if we open our eyes to what’s hidden in its alleyways.

http://www.109architectes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/IMG_0737-768x1024.jpg

The Royal Plaza in Raouche is getting renovated.

March 12, 2012

http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af175/_Zippo_/SSC%20Projects%20Pictures/0-Buildings%20renovation/Royal_Plaza-12-3-2012-1.jpg

http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af175/_Zippo_/SSC%20Projects%20Pictures/0-Buildings%20renovation/Royal_Plaza-12-3-2012-2.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/7121607355_6d6464e6f3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/xyplatypus/7121607355/)
IMG_0095 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/xyplatypus/7121607355/) by JamieK2007 (http://www.flickr.com/people/xyplatypus/), on Flickr