| Youssef Aftimus
(1866-1952) was an important figure in Lebanon’s modern history. After
a long period outside the country (USA, Germany, Belgium, Egypt, Iran...),
he took part the country’s first government under the Presidency of Charles
Debbas. As an architect, Aftimus was the author of many of Beirut’s landmarks
such as the Municipality Building, the Grand Serail Clock, the Hamidiyyeh
Fountain and the Barakat Building (the later becoming a controversial issue
in the 1990’s). Aftimus was also an academic, a journalist, and a visionary
urban planner who proposed, in the late 1940’s, to demolish Beirut’s Central
District with a nuclear bomb in order to reconstruct it properly. A man
of ideas ands ideals, he was an uncommon figure. |
| Atelier de Recherche
ALBA initiated the Youssef Aftimus project in summer 1999 as part of the
interventions based on the BF1237 (Barakat building.). The research was
mainly based on the fund of documents in the Dr Georges Aftimus estate.
The collection, unpublished until then, includes printed and manuscripts
writings (political, editorial, letters...) photographs, architectural drawings
and personal objects. The Atelier de Recherche team has completed the catalogue
of the collection. The survey is available to scholars on request. |
| PART I: summer
1999 |
| student in charge:
Carine Mansour [architecture IV] initial project |
| PART II: autumn
1999 - spring 2000 |
| students in
charge: Yara Akl [architecture V] survey & catalogue, Karma Tohmé [advertising
IV] preparing the monography |
| PART III: summer
2004 |
students in
charge:
Sandra Ghosn [advertising III] Sonia Chemali [architecture V] Rana Fany [architecture V] Tamara Haddad
[advertising V] and Angela Nurpetlian [advertising III] with Edmond Khabouth,
alumni in advertising, copywriter.
|
The team works with Mrs May Davie, historian, ens. Université
François Rabelais [Centre d'histoire de la ville moderne et contemporaine(CEHVI)]
and Alba [IUA]
|
and has received
contributions by Dr Susan Holly, historian, The State Department, Washington
[Office of the Historian] and by Miss Zeina el Cheikh.
|
