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I managed to capture the final moments of Lord’s Hotel this afternoon.
The gradual destruction of this 1950s landmark is almost complete. Luckily, I took some pictures last month and was able to compare some of these to a wonderful archive I was given access to by researcher Camille Tarazi,  who saw my previous post and forwarded me a 1956 article about Lord’s in La Revue du Liban magazine.

Elder residents eyes light up when asked about the place, describing it as one of the finest in the area, known for attracting tourists both from the West and the Arab countries.

1956:

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December 2014

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January 2015

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December:

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January:

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December:

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January:

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Today, only one room remains:

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But when I was here in December, I managed to get some shots of the vintage overhang:

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At the time, the entrances were sealed with breeze blocks:

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But there were still some holes…

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Revealing glimpses of the past:

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I reached over the wall and found a larger opening:

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Could these equally-spaced holes on the left be the shelves of the old bar?

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I could also could see a hallway area:

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Could it have been part of the old lobby?

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According to the 1956 Revue du Liban article, Lord’s was known for its modern art and matching furniture:

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I made it over to another sealed off section….

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And found this mural through the cracks:

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And got a better view through another opening:

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I wonder who painted it? Just left of the painting, there were other parts of the lobby, marked by pink marble columns:

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The 1956 Revue article makes note of decorative paneling and wallpaper throughout. From another hole, I found some remnants of those panels:

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And the wallpaper:

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I wonder if these were similar to those used in the the dining rooms?

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Back in December, I managed to get around the back side of the hotel, where a large tree was growing:

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When I walked beneath it, I could see the vintage bubble balconies:

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As well as a hidden atrium section:

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The windows had been bolted shut:

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None of this remains today…

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Amid the rubble are chunks of the blue tile facade:

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The walls seem to have been made of archaic sandstone:

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Sandstone construction is supposedly one of the criteria for preserving a building.  So why wasn’t Lord’s Hotel saved?

And how many more will be lost before parliament and the public begin mobilizing to save what’s left?

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***

 

Attached are the original pages discovered by Camille at Saint Joseph University’s “Bibliotheque Orientale.”

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Among other things, they discuss special Thursday candlelight dinners, “happy” ladies at the bar, and receptionists trained at France’s Grenoble Hotel School:

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  1. Another GOLIATH is going to be slain in Beirut City, this time , i believe it is The infamous LORDS Hotel / opposite The Long Beach (At Cornish Al Manara) district ?! As much as , i + We all , the Lebanese Old Timers , get disappointed and feel that a part of our, so called heritage ,is going to crumble and disappear soon, to erect a new tower ..possibly? My personal& humble opinion about this ,may sound ridiculous , but even though i never had the privileges to see inside this Hotel, i assume they don t represent the landmark status of the CITY, frankly speaking , such venues ,forgive me NOT to name many other Big Estates, as such –which some call them, A piece of the Old Beirut , in fact back in the 1940/50/60 S most of them turned into a Beehive for, to put it in a KIND way, or in other words nests for >>>Vultures, local or foreign or a shelter/abode/ a meeting place for many >( Game of Nations )< players, be it, men / or women ,who put , (not just Lebanon ) but the whole region….. in harms way,,for many decades ..we all still suffering, even to this day the agonising consequences of their Dirty DeeDs, Plots and every decent citizen in Lebanon and around Leb. knows what i am pointing at or saying, so as they say ..the game is over and their role – as dens.. -PAID OFF. & some Sad/Bad /Mad , past memories , will be removed with its RUINS! in nutshell , Some of them deserve to be get RID OFF. to ERASE such grim reminders of their unintentional participation in the whole SAGA !!! ///// My best regards to Beirut/report for the its serious/sincere devotion in such intriguing matters ! From: Isahak Barsoumian/London/G.Britain.

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