Interior Design Blog

Evidence of the war is visible everywhere but so too are signs of the redevelopment that is currently underway. Thanks to this massive rebuilding effort, the Lebanon seems to have escaped the recession that has stricken other parts of the world, while its celebrated joie de vivre, as one Lebanese person I met expressed it, is still also very much in evidence. Beirut's reputation as the party capital of the Middle East still preceeds it and today the people love to party and enjoy life's pleasures as much as ever. International architects such as Jean Nouvel, Rafael Moneo and Zaha Hadid have been recruited to make their mark on city's skyline. Rafael Moneo has designed a new shopping complex that will replace the old souk which was destroyed, teh first phase of which is now open. This new commercial district sits alongside elegant architecture from Beirut's past such as French Mandate buildings which have been restored by Solidere, a consortium created specifically to regenerate the city. While not without the inevitable controversy that often comes with regeneration on this scale, Solidere has allowed these elegant buildings a second lease of life as well as building new facilities such as a new yacht club and new housing areas. I hope to go back in a couple of years to see how the city lives up to its considerable promise.
 
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