Dear Diana, thank you for sharing this description of the Nicolas Sursock museum, and particularly for documenting the damage sustained in the recent explosion in Beirut. I was so sorry to see this, and hope that you and your loved ones are managing ok. As I was listening to your presentation, I wondered two things: 1) whether you thought that the experience of the Civil War in Lebanon had shaped the space and design of the museum as it emerged in the 1990s/2000s at all, and 2) what lessons might be learnt from that period of unrest, in the current drive to rebuild the museum? Thanks again, Claire Wintle
Dear Claire,
Thank you very much for your concern about the situation in Lebanon and for organizing the conference in these challenging times.
Regarding your first question, the primary aim during the restoration/ expansion work was to keep the building as it was before the civil war, they paid a lot of attention to keep everything like it was originally designed.
Regarding your second question, in my opinion, the volatile region and considering how conflicts can impact on the museum, should be taken into consideration. In my view the rare and special collections is best kept underground.
At the moment the building is very exposed and with it the artwork of Lebanese pioneers. Again taking into account the current unrest in Lebanon, I would prefer improving the security of the building, without compromising the architectural design and cultural impact of the main entrance.
I hope that Lebanon and the museum will see better days in the future.
Thanks again,
Diana Jeha
Dear @diana It seems that basic necessities take over in times like these, don't they? Very best of luck with it all. I'm really interested in the ways in which the post-war team were able to understand the aims and practices of the original design - what kinds of archives and other modes of understanding they used to reconstruct, conceptualise and enact the museum's built history. But those things are quite difficult to find information out about...I'd be happy if you did have any insights, but understand if not!
Dear Claire,
Thank you again for your interest. Sorry I don't have this information. I checked all the published data and couldn't fined any relevant informations.
Thanks again,
Diana
Dear Diana, I join Claire and I am sure many others in wishing for the best for the museum and you and your colleagues as you move forward. It must be truly heartbreaking afer all the recent efforts to renovate the museum so beautifully. Thank you for sharing, Barbara
Dear Barbara,
I would like to thank you for your concerns. its really heartbreaking to see museum in a damage, its a challenging time in the country but with all the efforts and support the museum will be restored.
many thanks again,
Diana
