Beirut City Hall

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Beirut City Hall, also known as the Municipality of Beirut, is a landmark building built in downtown

Beirut's Municipality building, constructed in 1925, was the masterpiece of Youssef Aftimos. He began to work on it after his return to Lebanon from Chicago. Prior to the construction of the new building, the Municipality was located in the Petit Serail on Martyrs' Square. The project to build a new headquarters for the Municipality of Beirut, together with a small garden, a fountain and a clock tower dates back to 1880. At first, the building was planned on the northwest corner of Martyrs’ Square. An alternative location in today's Riad Al-Solh Square was also investigated, but the Weygand Street site was finally selected. The Municipality building is characterized by oriental-style façades. Conforming to the Neo-Moorish revivalist school – Youssef Aftimos being its main protagonist in Lebanon – its architecture expressed a reaction against the westernization of the country since the late 19th century, as well as the need to establish a more local or regional identity. A text inscribed on the building's entrance reflects this feeling: “These are the traces that identify us: seek out henceforth our traces.” Damaged and abandoned during the Civil War (1975-1990), the Municipality was restored by the year 2000.

Timeline

1880s: Project to build a new headquarters for the Municipality of Beirut together with a small garden, a fountain and a clock tower dates to these years.

1925: Constructed of Beirut's Municipality building by Youssef Aftimos.

1975-1990: Municipality building was damaged and abandoned during the Civil War.

2000: Restoration of the Municipality building.

See also

• Youssef Aftimos
• Petit Serail
• Martyrs' Square
• Riad Al-Solh Square
• Weygand Street
• Neo-Moorish revivalist schoolof architecture

References

• Davie, May (1997) The History and Evolution of Public Spaces in Beirut Central District, Solidere, Beirut.
• Saliba, Robert (2004) Beirut City Center Recovery: The Foch-Allenby and Etoile Conservation Area, Steidel, Göttingen.

References

33°53′53″N 35°30′21″E / 33.8980°N 35.5058°E / 33.8980; 35.5058

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