# Save Beirut's architectural heritage - The area hit by the August 4 port blast



## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

A year has passed since that cursed day of August 4, 2020, when an enormous explosion at the port of Beirut killed hundreds of people, injured thousands others, and damaged large swaths of the city. Since the port is located in the central part of Beirut, the areas that sustained the most damage were unfortunately those where much of the city’s historical architectural heritage remains / remained, a heritage dating back mostly to Late Ottoman and French Mandate times (mid-18th century to 1920, and 1920 to early 1940s respectively). Lebanon has long lagged behind other Mediterranean countries when it comes to the preservation of historical buildings, due to an unfortunate combination of obsolete laws, corruption, greed, lack of interest, and copying the totally unsuited development model of the Gulf countries, widely seen as the definition of success. As a result, a large number of heritage houses and buildings were torn down over time to make way for modern buildings, residential towers, parking lots and shopping outlets, and fewer than 900 remain in Beirut, 640 of which were damaged by the August 4 blast, including 60 that are now at risk of collapsing.
The map of the city proper below shows the extent to which every area was affected by the August 4 explosion (whose site is represented by the red dot):

Yellow areas received minor damage, mostly in the form of broken glass and torn doors and shutters, with most buildings remaining structurally sound
Red areas suffered substantial damage, with a number of buildings there having their roofs ripped and their interiors destroyed
Dark red areas suffered devastating damage, with a high proportion of buildings losing roofs and other structural elements, and some being downright reduced to rubble









This thread aims at giving you a glimpse of those rich in historical architecture, and yet little known to tourists and foreigners, areas that received the most direct hit by the explosion’s shockwave, in the eastern half of the city proper (east of the famous and “picture-perfect” restored Central District). Despite the amount of time and effort I put in taking and editing all the pictures, this not intended to be a comprehensive list of the surviving architectural heritage of Beirut, because I never resided in the city and only visited it for very brief periods, so it was simply not possible for me to find and document every house or building of interest. Moreover, finding even basic information about the buildings (name, year of construction, etc.) has proved to be an extremely difficult task it’s impossible to carry on through online research. As such, the thread’s aim is rather to give you an idea of what this “real” part of Beirut looks like, to point out the advanced state of disrepair in which many old buildings unfortunately lie, and the fast paced and uncontrolled wave of construction taking place around them, putting them at immediate risk of being demolished, and to raise awareness about the urgent need for the preservation of what little architectural heritage is left in my home country.


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Area 1


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

During the second half of the 19th century, Beirut was designated as a provincial capital of the Ottoman Empire, and started witnessing a rapid urban transformation and expanding beyond its walls. The rich bourgeoisie began to settle on the hilly area east of the walled city, known as Ashrafieh (literally “the place commanding a good view”), building large houses surrounded by gardens or orchards. The area’s urbanization quickly accelerated under French mandate, when the authorities established legislations that generated a harmonious urban fabric. Starting in the 1940s after independence, new building laws were adopted, leading to increasing building heights that modified the morphology of the city. The 1950s witnessed an intense building boom, leading to the establishment of the Beirut Master Plan by French urban planner Michel Ecochard. This controversial plan affected the city proper with the highest possible exploitation ratios, putting a growing pressure on its numerous heritage buildings and resulting in an increased risk of demolition for them. Alfred Naccash Avenue, the main artery through which Ashrafieh is accessed from the south, was opened during that period. Jacaranda blooms dot its southern part, close to the Hotel Dieu de France hospital:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Construction in the area accelerated further in subsequent decades, giving Alfred Naccash Avenue its current appearance:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 1
At first glance, nothing old remains to be seen. The avenue moves through an urban scape of residential mid-rises from the 1960s and 1970s, high-rises from the 1990s, and skyscrapers erected after 2000 as it approaches Sassine Square, considered as the heart of Ashrafieh (Map: 2):


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 3
It then passes under the square and resurfaces at the level of the ABC Ashrafieh shopping mall, continuing northwards until College de la Sagesse:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 3
The sea is clearly visible from that spot. An eerie detail: the doomed Warehouse 12 of the port where the explosion happened was located right in the extension of the avenue, which channeled the shockwave until Sassine Square:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 4
The area west of Alfred Naccash, which was already built up and well developed in the period of French mandate, has experienced an unprecedented boom in the last 15 years fueled by the opening of ABC Ashrafieh, Lebanon’s first true mall and one of its largest, part of which can be seen here:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 3
It is however the area to the east that we’ll start exploring, whose settlement had begun under French mandate, but really took off during the 1950s and 1960s. The avenue is bound by a tall concrete wall, decorated with a mural representing Lebanese singer and actress Sabah, one of the Arab world’s most emblematic figures:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 5
And further north, by a sort of vertical flower bed, adding a much needed touch of greenery and color:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 4
A charming 1940s house with a veranda and lush garden, in a relatively good shape, can be seen right above:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 5
While this one, next to it, has been left to decay and urgently needs restoration to get back to its former beauty, some of which can still be seen faintly in the elegant blind arches on the first floor:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 5
The most remarkable feature on this part of the street however is the small cemetery of the Orthodox church of Mar Mitr (St Demetrius), which gave its name to this sector of the city:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 6
The church dates back to the early 19th century, but took its funerary function after 1860 as a result of a decree requiring all cemeteries to be moved outside the city walls:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 6
The cemetery houses a collection of 19th century ornamental tombs created by Italian sculptors:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 6
Among the tombs are those of some of the city’s most prominent bourgeois families, most notably the Sursock and Bustros families, who built a number of palaces in Ashrafieh:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 6
Interestingly enough, while these families follow the Orthodox faith, like most of the Christian population of Beirut city proper, the architecture of the tombs is clearly of Catholic / Western European influence:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 9
This is one of the many details exemplifying the long-time nature of Lebanon as a whole and of Beirut in particular as a melting pot of east and west:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 7
Since the shockwave from the blast was channeled with full force by the street passing next to the cemetery, the sculpted elements of the tombs must have sustained some amount of damage:


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## Rebelado (Jan 3, 2020)

WasabiHoney said:


> Map: 6
> Interestingly enough, while these families follow the Orthodox faith, like most of the Christian population of Beirut city proper, the architecture of the tombs is clearly of Catholic / Western European influence:


Maybe catholics have already immigrated. Most of the are living in South America, thats why Lebanon went of 60% Christian to 40%.


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)




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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 40
Across Paraguay street from the tower is the Sacred Hearts college, a private Catholic school originally opened in 1936 and later expanded. Countless such establishments still operate in Lebanon, an enduring legacy of the 19th century when schools were run by foreign Catholic or Protestant missions. The original 1936 building is the one with the colonnade seen on the left:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 44
I particularly like this addition from 2001, whose colors, set on a vibrant blue sky backdrop, bring to mind those compositions by Dutch painter Piet Mondrian:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 40
Just across Sioufi street is this house from the same period as the original school building, noticeable thanks to its veranda and its carved window frames on the ground floor:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 43
On Sioufi street too, but more west, we find this impressive 3-storey house with the classic triple arched doors opening onto large square verandas. It’s in good shape, with the only shadow in the picture IMO being the unattractive brownish rough plaster on the walls, but the ivy climbing onto them definitely adds a touch of beauty. The statue of the bearded sword bearer visible on the right represents Mar Elias (Elijah), who enjoys a particular popularity in Lebanon; in fact, Elie / Elias has long been one of the most commonly given male names in the country:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

I'm going to take a break now as I will be away from home for a few days. When I'm back, I will start showing you around the more interesting and vibrant Area 2. Thanks a lot for following, and see you soon!


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates as always, cat


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

The western half of Ashrafieh (west of Alfred Naccash avenue) has a noticeably different character from its eastern one, as it was one of the first parts of the city to grow beyond the medieval walls, under the impulse of Christian missionaries who established their institutions there and of the bourgeoisie fleeing the dense intra-muros neighborhoods. The architecture of the houses and palaces built by these rich merchants and bankers reflected their Occidentalized socio-cultural lifestyle, influenced by their multiples travels to Europe, and by the presence of many foreign missionaries, consulates and merchants in Beirut.
The development of this part of the city was further accelerated by the opening of Damascus Street in 1863 (which provides access to Central Beirut from the south) and by continuous planning and modernization works. The late Ottoman urban regulations, perpetuated and reinforced later during the French mandate, defined strict street alignments, which can still be seen today along the area’s main streets. The cadaster was also established by the Mandate authorities in 1920, leading to the typology of smaller constructions becoming dominant. In parallel, the introduction of reinforced concrete in 1924 and its generalization as a local and affordable product in the 1930s allowed for a vertical extension of the buildings and the gradual decline of brick-tiled roofs; however, a quick look at the map shows many of these are still scattered throughout the area.
In 1931, an urban plan was drawn for Beirut that envisioned for Ashrafieh to be developed on the model of “garden cities”. Sadly however, this plan was never approved, and it was instead the 1954 Master Plan of French architect Michel Ecochard that was chosen as a model for the city’s development. Even though it hasn’t been entirely implemented, the Ecochard Master Plan has had a huge negative impact on the urban fabric of Ashrafieh, by allowing for countless mid-rises and high-rises to be built throughout it, what’s more, on lots where heritage buildings once stood (which therefore had to be demolished), disrupting the harmonious alignments and silhouettes of its streets:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 1
Due to the impact of the civil war, and particularly its siege by the Syrian troops during the so-called Hundred Days War, Ashrafieh experienced a period of stagnation between the mid-1970s and the early 1990s, when economic and cultural activities returned to normal and construction of new buildings resumed. It wasn’t however until 2003 and the opening of ABC Ashrafieh mall, a project of unprecedented nature and scale in the country, that the area’s real estate market exploded, leading to an unprecedented economic and construction boom:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 2
Nearly 20 years later, the mall is still an example of poshness and avant-garde, with its modern, airy design making full use of daylight, and the elegant palm trees lining its walkways:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 1
Moreover, its rooftop is a vantage point offering views on several of the area’s tallest structures, most of which were built in the last 15 years: south towards Sassine Square and the tall antenna atop one of its office buildings:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 1
Southwest towards the skyscraper cluster on George Haimari street, which is the city’s most prominent one due to its elevated location:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 1
West towards Abdel Wahab 618:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 2
And north towards the sea and Les Domes de Sursock:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 3
The view is even better from the parking lot’s rooftop as this one is completely open. Looking west, the tallest buildings seen from left to right are Atomium 5242, Sky Gate and Tilal Beirut (forming the compact cluster), Ashrafieh Heights, Sama Beirut, Abdel Wahab 618 and Fal Tower 1:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 3
With the last three seen under a better angle here:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 3
While looking north towards the sea, the most noticeable ones are Les Domes de Sursock and Wave Building. The tallest structures are surrounded by residential low-rises or mid-rises built anytime from the 1950s to the early 2000s, and at first glance, there is no trace of heritage buildings to be found:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 3
A quick look down from the rooftop however shows there is more to the area at street level than meets the eye: a huge bougainvillea bush, two small brick-tiled roofs, and a fenced backyard… The interesting old buildings are definitely somewhere out there, hidden by the vertical growth, so let’s go search for them!


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 4
All we have to do for a start is exit the mall from the small side door on the east, and there, next to the bridge spanning Alfred Naccash avenue, we find this exquisite 1940s building in the final stages of restoration. With its triple doors separated by columns and decorated with stained glass, its lancet windows on the left side, and its rooftop veranda, it’s a prime example of a traditional Beiruti building of which there could have been countless ones remaining if only there had been efficient conservation laws:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 4
Its entrance door set into a sculpted frame is simple but elegant. Luckily, the construction of the mall next door and the revitalization of the surrounding area that it brought gave an incentive for this building to be restored rather than replaced:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)




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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 36
We return to the east to explore Lebanon street, whose perspective is dominated to the south by the massive Sama Beirut. The skyscraper is so oversized compared to its surroundings that at first glance, almost nothing else catches the eye!


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 36
And yet, there is much to be seen if you look around. Samples of traditional Lebanese architecture dot this charming street, with their triple arched doors, wrought iron balconies, lateral staircase, and red brick-tiled roof. In fact, the typology of the Lebanese “central hall house” was born in the 19th century when the settlement of Ashrafieh began. This new residential architecture, driven by the arrival of new building materials, was meant to reflect the modern westernized lifestyle that was starting to prevail, cutting with the Ottoman residential architecture characterized by flat roofs and an internal central courtyard around which the rooms were distributed, and of which plenty of examples can still found in the older parts of other cities like Zahle, Damascus and Aleppo:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 37
This house, located just next to the one in the previous picture, has the exact same layout and style, and thus probably belonged to the same family. Sadly it has been disfigured by the addition of extra floors over the front part, painted in white, and of a canopy over the staircase, and currently serves as the headquarters of a political party:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 38
Just to the north, between Monnot and Lebanon street, is this sparkling white, well-restored Art-deco house:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 38
Above it rises the upscale Le Patio condominium complex, which it's probably part of:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 39
While across the street from it is the picturesque church of the Annunciation, built in ochre stone, and known as the place where famous Lebanese diva Fayrouz got married:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 39
The church belongs to the Orthodox faith, but is situated in a predominantly Catholic part of the city, and presents a number of architectural elements typical of western Catholic churches, such as the frieze, the semicircular pediments, and the dome topped by a lantern. The neighborhood’s Catholic heritage is due to the French Jesuit missionaries who settled here in the second half of the 19th century, opening a seminary in 1870 that became the Saint Joseph University (USJ) 5 years later:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 40
Named after the university, the Yessouieh sector of the city is still home to the Campus of Social Sciences and the Library (Bibliothèque Orientale) of the Saint Joseph University, to the large homonymous church, and to a number of cultural facilities like the Museum of Prehistoric Ages and the Monnot theater. Going through it is Huvelin street, named after Paul-Louis Huvelin, a French legal historian who was instrumental in founding the Law School of the Saint Joseph University in 1913. It’s a haven of calm and greenery in a neighborhood located just off two major arteries, and which sadly I didn’t have enough time to further explore:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 41
We continue instead northwards on Lebanon street, where more examples of early 20th century houses with red brick-tiled roofs and colorful shutters can be found. The one with bare stone walls in the back is the villa of former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, where he has reportedly been living after fleeing Japan, but sadly its walls appear to have been plastered and repainted in more recent photos found online:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 43
The neighboring Gergi Zeidan street also features samples of this same residential architecture so typical of Lebanon, with the balconies and the triple arched doors, but infused with some Art-deco elements:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 42
Side by side with slightly taller buildings representing a more clearly Art-deco style:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 42
This one, an interesting pastiche of several styles (as evidenced in particular by the central doors, different on every floor), had had one side of it restored by the time I visited, and hopefully is today in a better state than I found it despite the damage caused by the port explosion:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 45
On the parallel Ghandour es Saad street we find this elegant building of the 1930s with its typical large verandas supported by columns. Another skyscraper is seen behind it, 20|30, that was still under construction at the time the picture was taken (2014):


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 44
While the FAL Towers had just been completed on the other side:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 46
The next parallel street to the south, Wadih Naim, is perhaps the one that exemplifies the most the glitzy but controversial kind of development / gentrification Ashrafieh has been undergoing in the last two decades. Seen from its west edge, the street appears as a succession of houses with gardens from the French mandate period, modern mid-rise residential buildings, and towering skyscrapers:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 47
Starting to move eastwards we first encounter this elegant Art-deco house, rich with elements representative of the style like the doors and balconies with peculiar geometrical forms and the fluted pilasters:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 46
While its sides appear to be neglected, the façade is in a better shape and a jewelry store has opened on the ground floor:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 48
Just next to it is this grand 1940s building with the large square verandas so typical of the city:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 47
Meticulously restored, it houses a designer wallpaper store on the ground floor, with the impressive bougainvillea in front of it adding a further touch of color:


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Beirut, cat


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)




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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 50
Another beautifully restored gem of Lebanese architecture is found on this stretch of the street, the Abdallah Bustros mansion, particularly noticeable for the unusual oculi on one of its sides:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 50
It houses today the Liza restaurant, whose name is written in Latin and Arabic letters on either side of the elegant gate:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 49
Indeed, the traditional architecture of Wadih Naim street has led many entrepreneurs to establish their businesses there, giving a second life to buildings that would otherwise have been left to slowly decay:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 51
The businesses comprise restaurants, bars and cafés, but also boutiques, art galleries and designer shops, like that of a local fashion designer, housed in an elegant 1930s building with large verandas:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 51
The character of the area has therefore increasingly been shifting from being strictly residential (like it was still largely the case in this 2014 shot) to one additionally hosting leisure and commercial activities:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 52
This development however is a double edged sword, as it inevitably attracts real-estate developers, who, encouraged by an urban regulation that favors them, seek to buy the neighborhood’s few remaining old houses to tear them down and replace them with taller buildings for increased profit. Those completed before the real-estate prices skyrocketed in the early 2000s are not particularly tall:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 52
Yet, the fact they were built where some of the city’s last heritage houses stood definitely leaves a sour taste in the mouth:


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Once again great, very nice updates, cat


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Hello to all of you who are still following this thread, and sorry for having been away for so long. It has not been an easy period for me, marked in part by the death of someone I lived with. I'll resume now the thread at the pace I can: don't expect daily updates, but I'll do my best. Thank you for your understanding!


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 53
More modern residential mid-rises are found ahead, but an old 4-story building thankfully survives in between, with a beautiful bougainvillea growing in its courtyard:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 53
Probably dating back to the 1930s and featuring the classic central balconies and triple arched doors, it’s in decent condition and would only need a layer of fresh paint to look its best:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 54
In that spot, the relatively harmonious continuity of the street is broken by another oversized skyscraper: 20|30, completed in 2016:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 53
It consists of two separate towers of 20 and 30 floors respectively, hence the name, and like Sama Beirut and other skyscrapers in the area, the parcel of land it occupies was created by regrouping several lots, allowing it to rise to a height of 155 meters:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 53
Unfortunately, most of these lots were occupied by heritage houses or buildings, which were torn down to make way for another monstrosity (even if it has a certain sleekness to it). Only one remains below the skyscraper, but it has been left in an advanced state of disrepair, probably to justify its demolition later on that will allow some kind of extension of the 20|30 project to be built:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 54
Right ahead, another old building managed to survive as it has been kept in good condition by its owners. It seems to have had an additional floor added on in the 1950s (judging by its style), but the result is otherwise harmonious, and made noticeable by its vibrant blue shutters:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 55
Arriving at the corner with Baroudi street and looking back at, the side of 20|30 can be seen, showing it’s actually another residential skyscraper and not one housing office space as its smooth glass façade may suggest. One needs no more than a quick look at the real-estate prices in the area to understand the scale of the profit its developers must have made. And the choice between millions and heritage architecture is not even a choice for most of them!


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Hi , I’m sad to hear of your loss It’s lovely to see you back !

thank you , Steve


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

flatworm said:


> Hi , I’m sad to hear of your loss It’s lovely to see you back !
> thank you , Steve


Thank you in turn for the condolences, for following so faithfully and for all the likes, I really appreciate it 😘


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Hello once again to the followers of this thread, this time after 6 whole months! Yes I know, you must have been thinking the thread is dead, and I sincerely apologize for this absence. As some of you might have learned on other threads that I was occasionally active on, I kept having problems with my computer since the beginning of the year: I had to get my hard disk replaced in January, then the new disk broke down just a couple of months later, then I had a recurring BIOS issue that left me with no choice but have my computer formatted, and one month later it was the turn of the motherboard to go kaput. All of this, coupled with the fact I had to constantly go back and forth between three locations in these last months, meant I had no access to my documents and no time on my hands to resume this thread. In fact I'm still quite busy at this moment, but as August 4 will mark a full year from the day I opened it, I would like to try to have it completed by then if possible. It won't be easy, and honestly after I complete Area 2 I might have to drop Area 3 altogether if there is nobody more still following, but I hope you will still be around. So here we go:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 69
As evidenced by this series of pictures, Shukri Assali street keeps a large proportion of heritage buildings, and a sign has been placed at its southern end that reads “street with a traditional character”, but apparently this is more of an honorable title, and doesn’t warrant the state or the City to finance restoration works on its entire length. At its northern end, next to Charles Malek avenue and Saint Nicholas Orthodox church, stands a house that’s equally interesting and yet different from the ones encountered before: it’s a sample of typical Lebanese architecture, but made of two similar wings connected by a large stairwell, which is quite rare. The right wing is painted, has stone arches and pediments on the first floor, and a cornice running under the roof:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 70
Returning to the south, we take Abrine street (pronounced more like “Ebreen”) that runs eastwards from the level of Masabni building. Lined with beautiful jacaranda trees, it is named after a settlement in northern Lebanon where the Maronite congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family has its motherhouse:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 72
The congregation gave its name to the street as it operates a church and a school there. The complex was founded in the first half of the 20th century, and contrasts with the modern and oversized Sky Gate and Abdel Wahab 618 skyscrapers seen in the back:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 71
The latter of which can be fully seen here, behind a curtain of jacaranda blooms:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 73
Across the street is the beautifully restored Villa Tueini Bustros, hidden from view by a large garden and a fence. Built in 1863 by the famed bourgeois Bustros family, it is owned today by a corrupt former minister:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 74
Other heritage buildings line the remaining stretch of the street. This one has nice window pediments in ochre stone, but I don’t like the render cladding of the façade shaped like fake stones, and think it would look much better painted in a light color:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 75
At least however it’s in good condition, unlike the one next to it that is almost falling apart. The balconies are gone, as is the plaster on large parts of the walls, and I’m saddened to see what could have been an impressive building (notice the large corbels and the stairwell with the arched openings) lie in such a state of disrepair. Is there still time to undo the damage before it’s demolished to make way for another tower for the rich?


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Beirut, cat


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 76
Right ahead, on the intersection of Abrine and Zahrat el Ehsan streets stands this impressive example of late 1950s - early 1960s architecture, noticeable for its rounded balconies and its grand entrance accessed through an also rounded flight of stairs:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 77
The southern section of Zahrat el Ehsan street (which is named for a school located on it), lined with unattractive 1960s and 1970 blocks and guarded by the soaring Sky Gate, exemplifies well the disintegration of the urban fabric and the absence of harmony induced by the high exploitation ratios affected to the area by the 1954 Beirut Master Plan:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 78
The northern section of the street looks better, and is lined with modern high-rises amidst which a few restored house like this one can be found. I don’t like too much the color and the balcony on the second floor is a questionable addition, but hey, at least it hasn’t been demolished to make way for another tower:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 78
At that level is a large opening between the buildings, behind which stands this impressive four-story bourgeois mansion with an unusual five-edged veranda and an elaborate balustrade around its rooftop:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 79
Further north, several office building can be found as we approach Charles Malek Avenue, one of the city’s business districts. I singled out this one for the beautiful palm grove surrounding its entrance:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 79
And this one for an entirely different reason: a family of cute orange tabby cats relaxing around its staircase:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 81
Returning south to Abrine street (named Es Salam School street in this section) and continuing eastwards, we arrive to one of the area’s most elegant structures, the Feghali building:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 81
Its facade, with the protruding central part and the array of geometric shapes found in the balcony railings, the balustrades and the central openings, is a fine example of Art-deco architecture:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 81
Equally elegant is the frontspiece (the frame around the main door), decorated with classical motifs, leaves and festoons, and bearing a cartouche enclosing calligraphic letters, probably the original owner’s initials:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 80
When I had passed next to the same building a few years earlier, it needed to be repainted and looked quite bland, despite being in good condition:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 80
Compare to this shot taken from the same angle, and it becomes apparent how simply repainting it with fresh, contrasting colors and decorating the balconies with flowering plants went a long way towards bringing out the building’s fine architectural details:


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates including the one with the cats


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)




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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 82
Further east, at the corner of Es Salam School and Mariam Geahshan streets, the garden surrounding the historic Asseyli domain spills out from behind its walls:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 82
Creating a small heaven of greenery and flowers in this dense part of the city that changes colors with the passing seasons: winter:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 82
Spring:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 82
And summer:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 82
At the opposite corner stands the modern Babikian building, noticeable thanks to its rounded glass balconies and its sloping roof reminiscent of ski resorts:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 83
A few interesting structures can be found on the remaining section of Es Salam School street. This villa from the 1940s stands out thanks to its fluted columns and pilasters, but I don't like too much the additions on the upper floor, despite their attempt to recreate an extension as faithful as possible of the original structure:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 82
Thankfully, the ground floor still shows some fine details at the level of the gate, the windows and the balconies:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 83
Next to it is another villa from the same period, but with a more harmonious, symmetrical structure, having large arched doors on the entire facade, and shaded by two tall stone pines:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 84
Then the small Evangelical Church of God, surrounded by three cypresses (perhaps referencing the Holy Trinity?):


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 85
Across the street from it, an alley leads to a small clearing just below the ABC Ashrafieh mall, on which we find this concrete building with the balcony shape so characteristic of the 1950s. However, its lowest two floors also feature a group of three doors with openings above them, reminiscent of traditional houses:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 85
Standing nearby is this recently completed building as well, with the interesting metal cladding on its facade:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 86
Further east, where Es Salam School street meets Alfred Nakkash avenue, we find another concrete house bearing several traditional elements, but not particularly well maintained:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 87
There are a few large trees on that section of Alfred Nakkash avenue, which I hope have escaped the shockwave of the August 4th blast unharmed. This one is quite unusual, carpeting the ground below it with a hundreds of small pink bell-shaped flowers:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 87
After a thorough research, I found out it’s actually a species of bottle tree native to Australia:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 88
A little below, a tree with clusters of yellowish green flowers extends over the street. Called tree of heaven, it is actually a noxious weed that is notoriously difficult to eradicate:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 89
It grows from next to an abandoned house with one of those square verandas so typical of the area, and sadly in an advanced state of disrepair:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 89
There was already a “for sale” sign on it in 2017, and moreover its location left it particularly exposed to the shockwave of the port explosion, so I’m afraid it has since suffered the same fate as hundreds of the city’s heritage structures:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Next page


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)




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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 101
The house next to it has even more potential, but sadly lies in advanced state of disrepair, as we can see looking from Charles Malek avenue. Facing north, it was also a lot more exposed to the shock wave of the port’s explosion, so I don’t have much hope that it can still be repaired afterwards:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 102
Repairing the damage suffered by modern buildings like Wave Building (seen here from a nearby spot), which are owned by the wealthy, is obviously not hindered by financial restrictions, but the situation couldn’t be any more different for heritage structures whose owners already lacked the necessary funds to restore or maintain them before the explosion and the unprecedented financial crisis the country is going through. Many of these house are therefore doomed to disappear soon if nothing is done:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

This concludes our tour in Area 2. The last part of this thread will be dedicated to Area 3, by far the most heavily damaged by the blast. I still haven't written the photo descriptions and mapped the itinerary, and this is going to take me some time, so I expect to be able to resume the thread in September if all goes well. Thank you again for faithfully following, and see you soon!


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates once again, cat


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Happy New Year to all of you who are still following this thread! I was supposed to finish it much earlier, but got busy with a lot of things in the last few months. Here is now the opportunity to finish it as a New Year's resolution


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Save the best (or the worst?) for last: of the three zones I delimited on the map, Zone 3 is the one that sustained by far the most damage because of its direct exposure to the shock wave, with destruction being apocalyptic in the parts closest to the port:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 1
It extends over the districts of Rmeil, Saifi and Mdawwar, which are technically separate from Ashrafieh but often counted as part of it for historical, social and political reasons (this being especially true for Rmeil), and is delimited to the south by Charles Malek Avenue:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 2
Extending on an east-west axis, Charles Malek Avenue features a mix of residential and office buildings like elsewhere in the city, but with a noticeably larger than average proportion of office space:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 3
As such, it is considered one of Beirut’s business districts:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 10
And is home to a large concentration of banks:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 5
These include the IBL Bank headquarters (right), the Zen Building (left) with its unusual blue glass facade, housing a branch of BSL Bank:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 6
The Federal Bank of Lebanon headquarters (beige and black building, left):


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 9
And a branch of Cedrus Bank, housed in an elegant and well kept building of the 1930s. But WHY did they have to ruin it with that glass and metal addition on the left side?:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 8
Other office buildings on the avenue include Quantum Tower and The Netherlands Tower (left), both distinguished by their rounded glass facade, and Centre Sofil (right, behind the palm trees) with its also rounded corner:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 7
It seems that rounded facades are a widespread feature in this particular location, but no building showcases them more elegantly than L’Ellipse, located next to Centre Sofil, with its entrance surrounded by slender palm trees:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 6
An additional feature of L’Ellipse is its delightful artificial waterfall on the side:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 4
Another remarkable structure found on the avenue that is not an office building is the Saint Nicholas Orthodox church, with Les Domes de Sursock, one of the area’s tallest buildings, towering left of it:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Map: 11
Charles Malek Avenue runs in front of Hekmeh or La Sagesse (“The Wisdom”) College, which gave its name to the surrounding district. At this spot it’s spanned by a pedestrian bridge that does not really lead anywhere, and whose only apparent usefulness is having a clock mounted in the middle:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Next page


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