Following a brutal 15-year civil war that tore the city apart, Beirut has recovered remarkably; it was voted the number one destination to visit by the New York Times in 2009, and, more recently, received a similar title by Frommer's. The city is in the second phase of one of the biggest urban reconstruction projects in the world, run by Solidere, which has brought architects like Steven Holl, Herzog & DeMeuron, Zaha Hadid, Vincent James, and Rafael Moneo to the local scene. In less internationalized parts of the city sit the landmarks of the 1960s and 1970s, Beirut's pre-war glory days, including buildings by names such as Alvar Aalto, Victor Gruen, and the Swiss Addor & Julliard. With a city growing as fast as Beirut it is impossible to have a final city guide, so we look forward to hearing your suggestions and building on this over the years.
Photos and a map of Beirut's most exciting buildings after the break...
- Zaytunay Bay and Town Quay / Steven Holl Architects
- Beirut Souks / Rafael Moneo
- Gefinor Center / Victor Gruen
- CGM CMA Headquarters / Nabil Gholam
- Starco Center / Addor & Julliard
- Fransabank Headquarters / Alvar Aalto and Alfred Roth
- LAU Fine Arts Building / SKP
- EDL Headquarters / CETA
- Strand Center / Dar Al Handasah
- USJ Campus of Sport and Innovation / Youssef Tohmé and 109 Architects
- B018 / Bernard Khoury Architects
- Interdesign Showroom / Khalil Khoury
- Charles Hostler Student Center / VJAA
- Holiday-Inn / Andre Wogenscky
View Architecture City Guide: Beirut in a larger map