Description
Built by renowned architect Youssef Aftimos in the late 1920s, owned by Trad family, the Grand-Théâtre is a symbol of the evolution of the Centre-Ville through the XXth century. At first, when Central District was still the heart of Beirut's intelligentsia (from the 1920s until 1960), this building hosted a beautiful theatre, presenting international-class artists to the local scene, like Oum Kalthoum, Abdelwahab or Comédie-Française. The building included as well apartments, stores and a small hotel.
In 1960, when theaters, cinemas and coffee shops started blossoming around Hamra street, pulling the bustling cultural scene out of Centre-Ville, the theater became a popular cinema. When the war broke out and destroyed its surroundings, it became a porno cinema for the fighters of the Green Line.
Today, Solidere wants to turn this building into a Boutique hotel. It already destroyed a part of the Grand-Théâtre complex accross the street.
It must remain a theater.
Omar Naim made a movie on the subject in 1998.
Additional Data
City/Village: | Beirut |
Building or Site Name: | Grand-Théâtre de Beyrouth |
Approximate Date of Construction: | Late 1920s |
Street: | Rue Emir Bachir |
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