| Raouché.
A Middle East Airlines Airbus A330 in descent on Beirut International Airport. |
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| the
‘Corniche’, by night. "Madinet Malahi Bayrout" (Luna Park), in Manara,
near the lighthouse and the military bath. The grand revolving wheel is
named "Safinet Nouh" (Noah's Ark) |
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| fishing
cane (down below to the left), yacht and mountains of the Mount Lebanon
(background, in the mist). |
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| bathers
down of the 'Corniche' |
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| the
terrace (23rd floor) of "Binayat el Ahlam" – 'the dreams building'. This
architectural nightmare was built in the mid 1990’s for Middle Eastern
fortunate expatriates. The building owns a tennis court and its private
marina near Ain el Mraysse’s fishing harbor. |
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| Ain
el Mraysseh harbor’s entrance seen from the terrace of "Binayat el Ahlam”.
Of the three harbors that counted Ain el Mraysseh, alone Mina al Foukhar
– the harbor of pottery - remains again in service. Its waters were separated
from the sea by the construction of the Ain el Mraysseh’s ‘corniche’ in
the middle 1970’s. Since, the boats must take a passage under the road. |
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| Ain
el Mraysseh area seen from the terrace of "Binayat el Ahlam”. |
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| the
‘Corniche’, seen from the terrace of “Binayat el Ahlam”. Left: (to
the West) the American University of Beirut beach. Right: (towards
East) the grand hotels area, the new pier built by Solidere, the Normandy,
to in the backgroundm, Beirut’s harbor. |
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| the
Exelsior Hotel. Closed since 1975, it housed ‘Les Caves du Roy’, Beirut’s
most fashionable restaurant-clubs. Designed by Serge Sassouni, Les Caves
were, from the 1950’s to the 1970, the pride of Prosper Gay Para’s entertainment
empire who opened a branch in the French Riviera, at the Hotel Byblos,
Saint Tropez. After the beginning of the Lebanese war, the Caves
reopened only once, for a private party organized by Raymond Daoud. |
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| Walled
facade of the Exelsior, Phoenicia street, with a picture of Barakat building
placed by Mouna Hallak during the installation she organized in 2001 at
the restaurant Le Grenier (opposite the Exelsior) also closed for 20 years.
Barakat Building was the subject of the BF
1237 / Machines Celibataires project (Atelier de Recherche ALBA 1999-2000). |
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| the
pier of the new marina built by Solidere on the beach of Hotel Saint Georges. |
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| photos:
photos: Selim Boulos (architecture IV), Tamara Haddad (advertising IV),
Maissa Kassir (architecture II), Edmond Khabouth (advertising V), Angela
Nurpetlian (advertising II), Jehanne Zeidan (architecture IV) |
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