For decades, the curious triangular building in the Clemenceau neighborhood has stood abandoned. But that seems set to change.
This morning I noticed it was draped in green construction screen:
Does this mean it will be renovated or demolished? A few neighborhood residents I spoke to believed the latter, but I have yet to confirm this.
Some say the building was owned by the Tabbara family and doubled as a residence and an infirmary or medical storage. I recall a battered sign for a doctor’s office had been up for years on the front facade, which had ornate balconies and window trim, seen in these pictures I took a few weeks ago:
Here’s a panoramic shot of the building in context of the new glass and steel towers that surround it:
On tiny scale, it almost reminded me of the famed Flatiron in New York, in that it served both as a junction and a memorable piece of architecture.
Here’s the view on the left street, which reveals what appears to be the residential side:
I’m glad I took these shots randomly a few weeks ago–maybe unconsciously anticipating the building would be demolished one day, like the 80 percent of heritage buildings that have been destroyed in Beirut over recent years.
One thing I’ve learned: If you see something old and beautiful in Lebanon, be sure to take a picture of it immediately because it might not be there when you come back.
1 comment
I remember this building… Ominous history that should be preserved