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BEIRUT: With the rainy season fast approaching and state support nonexistent, a group of professionals has formed the Beirut Heritage Initiative, taking into their own hands the preservation of architectural gems severely damaged by the Aug. 4 blast.
Made up of volunteer architects, engineers, cultural activists, conservators and a few heritage NGOs, the drive aims to launch a collective and cohesive effort to get heritage buildings sealed and secured before autumn storms ruin their interiors.
The initiative will work independently of the government, but has partnered with the DGA, the Beirut Municipality, the Directorate General of Urban Planning and the Culture Ministry in order to coordinate efforts officially.
Were going to work with complete transparency. Were not partnering with the corrupt government but will be communicating with the proper channels to do everyone legally, architect, engineer and BHI member Fadlallah Dagher told The Daily Star. The government is absent on the ground and not understanding the urgency. Theyre responsible for this catastrophe, and its like theyre not involved at all, just leaving everything to NGOs and foreign aid. So, myself and other people specialized in heritage took initiative.
Dagher himself owns a 19th-century villa in Gemmayzeh that was devastated in the explosion. We met by chance at the DGA to put forward our individual concerns about saving our heritage and homes. From there we started coordinating, Dagher added. The National Heritage Foundation joined us, the Order of Engineers and Architects of Beirut etc ... Each team will be responsible for a specific type of architecture.
ICOM (International Council of Museums) will handle any museums affected; pre-1930 buildings will be done by ASPAD (Protection of the Sites and Ancient Homes of Lebanon), BBHR (Beirut Built Heritage Rescue) and ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites); and 1930-70 heritage will be overseen by the Arab Center for Architecture. Others, such as Save Beirut Heritage and the AUB Neighborhood Initiative will help administer and organize the project.
A recent study by the DGA revealed that the blast damaged 640 heritage buildings, with 60 at risk of imminent collapse. Over the past week, BHI has managed to provide structural support for at least 15 of these, and has begun assessing the repairs needed for others.
We want to return these areas even better than they were before, Dagher said. No one should be forced to abandon their homes. We want to preserve the spirit and life of these historic neighborhoods, not just the buildings in them. Its about the people too.
Artist Lara Youakim, whose damaged family house is 150 years old, has been doing what she can to secure her home before winter -- through donations, her own limited funds and in-kind material assistance.
The damage will cost about $100,000-130,000 to repair, Youakim said. Two ceilings caved in and a group managed to support one for me but the one in the bedroom is gone. I was taking a nap when it all came down on me. Another room has a wall that is a great danger. If it rains and we havent fixed the roofs yet, theres a chance the whole wall will collapse. Maybe the whole building with it.
For now weve started with one roof, [replacing] the beams and the wood under the roof tiles with our own funds, she added. Weve called so many NGOs, the DGA and every association we can think of but so far all theyve done is come, assess, and take pictures and leave.
Though frustrated, Youakim said its not entirely their fault and wonders where all the aid money that foreign parties keep sending in is going. She hopes that BHI will be able to produce more immediate results.
Having already spent a lot of money last year on maintenance and renovation that is now wasted, Youakim herself has limited resources to spend on repairs. The cost of being displaced from her home, as well as renting storage for her personal affects, is yet another cost.
Its been a month since I contacted the DGA and they keep saying theyre only concerned with buildings in the red zone, she added. But [if] they plan to come to us in November, its too late. Water will get in and my house will collapse. I know [Dagher and the BHI people] so feel confident they will let me know as soon as theyre able to do something.
While many members are offering their services free of charge, material and machinery costs are another matter. Initiative member Lynn Tehini said UNESCO will be working closely with BHI and supplying funds for the efforts.
Any money we receive will be moderated by The National Heritage Foundation and Ernest and Young, an international audit company. No money whatsoever will be going through the government, Tehini said. We already have French Embassy on board and we will be fundraising.
UNESCO cant send the money to the Lebanese government, so they were looking for local operators, she added. Were a big independent initiative and we ... should be one of them.
In a recent visit to Lebanon, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay assured the press that the organization was eager to help.
We must protect the spirit of the city, even as we work to rebuild it. We must build back but, more importantly, we must build back well, Azoulay said. This means protecting the unique heritage of these neighborhoods, respecting the citys history, and supporting its creative energy.
UNESCO is committed to providing expertise and raising funds for the reconstruction of affected buildings, she added, working as closely as possible with civil society initiatives and complying with international standards for the integrity of restorations.
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