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CONFERENCE BEIRUT - RISE FROM THE ASHES

UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF

THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF ARCHITECTS

AND

UNESCO

AN INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON THE CHALLENGES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION OF BEIRUT

September  14-15, 2021

San Clemente Island, Venice

 

After the explosion of the port of Beirut, this disaster revealed to the international community the human, economic and political crisis that Lebanon has been going through for many years...

International architects have chosen to unite to consider a support operation for the city of Beirut and initiate an international platform for exchanges leading to concrete initiatives.

This international forum aims to bring together those involved in the reconstruction of the city of Beirut alongside NGOs, which have launched a vast movement to raise public awareness right from the start of the disaster. It is aimed at all architects, but also at all audiences involved in town planning missions and in a large-scale reflection on the prospects for the development of cities.

It also aims to collect part of the funds needed to support the reconstruction of Beirut from generous donors.

From September 14th to 15th 2021, four sessions are planned around the following themes

The actors of reconstruction, the diversity of initiatives, at the local and international level. The importance of the role of NGOs and associations and their actions on site within the framework of tactical urbanism.

Relation between the city, the port and the sea: how to manage reconciliation, what solutions can be imagined to seize new favorable opportunities to support future developments?

"Lost homes" - the architecture of the day after: how to rebuild a city whose intangible heritage was as important as the built heritage. How to reweave the bonds of a community, which is defined by a multiplicity of social, ethnic and cultural components?

LI Beirut… the time Beirut was the most desirable city in the world. What would be the most appropriate strategy to build a relevant master plan, to give Beirut back its colors, to regain its dignity and to secure its future? Can the use of social networks and all of its potentials make it possible to launch a collaborative modeling of neighborhoods by integrating residents, by encouraging the constitution of virtual communities offering new interactions with the real world?

So many questions that remain open to this day… They will feed the rhythm of the debates at this September forum in order to implement concrete solutions.

A closing conference will mobilize the Lebanese and international community to continue supporting actions on the ground and relaunching a long-term reconstruction program within the framework of a master plan adopted by all stakeholders. In order to generate fundraising from donors, a charity dinner is offered by the San Clemente Kempinski Palace in a sumptuous setting.

At the same time, an exhibition is organized, thanks to the generosity of international artists.

The funds collected during these two events will be entirely donated to ALBA, the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts, in charge of training the architects of the future and strongly involved in the reconstruction of the city through a set of volunteer operations.

The Forum wants to be a continuation of the reflections initiated by local actors, the International Union of Architects (UIA) and by UNESCO as set out in the "Beirut Urban Declaration". This approach would like to promote a wider visibility of the actions initiated by different actors.

The greatest desaster will be forgetting….

Other cities are interested in this approach and wish to join this broad movement of thought on the "crisis of the cities". The solutions adopted for the reconstruction of the Lebanese capital represent a unique case, which could be applied to the situation of other metropolitan cities.

The reconstruction of the districts of Beirut was carried out through private initiatives, NGOs and with the inhabitants, without the contribution of the public authorities.

The conferences will be punctuated by speeches by artists from all walks of life, visual artists, musicians, poets, in particular Hedva Ser, Koen Vanmechelen, Özge Günaydin, Rudy Rahme, Yara Lapidus, Krista Kim ...

Hrish Lotlikar, co-founder and director of “SuperWorld” will present to us on the basis of his platform the fusion of our real society with the virtual world and how the interaction of the virtual world will change our current vision on the world of work, leisure, sharing and training. A vision for a more equitable, just and resilient society - for Beirut a chance to find new impetus to relaunch an economic dynamic.

Among the participating architectural firms, we can mention in particular: RPBW (Renzo Piano Building Workshop), Architecture Studio, Lina Ghotmeh Architects, Sylvia Yammine Architects, Tabianoglu Architects Istanbul, Atelier J. and S. Tabet …

 

Reservation: www.kempinski.com   

 

 

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