Résumé en anglais
The city of Beirut LEBANON was the scene of a civil war for 30 years. Armed conflictshave affected the center of the historic city with its components of modern city, built on strata of known
or unknown cities, but which shaped the city then without a town plan and without awareness of itstreasures.
The face of the city appears during the reconstruction, the old cities with their historical markings andtraces were unveiled. State bodies have taken charge of the reconstruction and enhancement of
archaeological sites as well as the recent heritage, memory of a recent past, social and collective. Avirtual city appears; it outlines peace and tries to keep watch over its identity.
After 4 years of studies and 10 years of work, the project can be qualified as a technical success butbeyond this success, underlying social and socio-cultural aspects could be erased. Today the city lives
with its new components, its strategies and offers a vision far from authentic but with an approach thatcan be considered eclectic.
The presentation tends to show the process of reconstruction from the draft to date by trying to exploreits limits based on rights for citizens, and for the renewal of the city.
What is the effect of this reconstruction and how peace was built in this historic centre, how did culturalheritage participate in reconciliation, what about identity and authenticity, how do we envision the
reconstruction of historic post-war cities with this model, which guarantees of peace after conflictwhich probably give rise to other conflicts. Can this rediscovered city model be replicated, what
approach to rights? What participatory democracy must be put in place?