Beirut: After the Dust Settles with Christele Harrouk + Salim Rouhana

"It only took a couple of seconds to destroy 40% of the city of
Beirut on August 4th, 2020. A couple of trivial seconds were
enough to determine the fate of the urban and social fabric of
the Lebanese capital and its architectural heritage. Years and
years of accumulated cultural assets fell instantly in distress,
causing more harm than the infamous 15-year civil war. These
seconds have erased the past, present, and destroyed future
aspirations." Words taken from Christele
Harrouk’s article published
in ArchDaily just one month after
Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, sustained two catastrophic blasts
that left the north side of the city in ruins, just 6 months ago.


We spoke to managing ArchDaily editor, Christele Harrouk and
World Bank's Salim Rouhana on their experiences of the Beirut
explosions and their perspectives on what rebuilding the Lebanese
capital could look like after such an unbelievable event. If
there’s one thing we’ve taken away from both their powerful
testimonies, it’s this bright, bold hope that seems to be rising
from the dust, by way of the Lebanese people—a hope that feels
very much alive.


Referenced works from Christele Harrouk, ArchDaily:


+ Beirut: Between a Threatened Architectural
Heritage and a Traumatized Collective Memory
+ The Contemporary Approach to Rebuilding Cities
Post-Disaster: The Case of Beirut


Referenced works from Salim Rouhana, World Bank Group:


+ Beirut Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment
(RDNA)
+ Lebanon Reform, Recovery & Reconstruction
Framework (3RF)





Design and the City, is a podcast produced by reSITE about the
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This podcast was produced by Alexandra Siebenthal, with support
from Martin Barry, Radka Ondrackova, Elizabeth Mills, and
Elizabeth Novacek. It was recorded at WeWork Prague, with the
support of the Czech Ministry of Culture and Nano Energies, and
edited by LittleBig Studio. Album art photo by Rami Rizk.