Conservation of Beirut cultural heritage and post-dicaster recovery
Swiss partners
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Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana SUPSI: Giacinta Jean (main applicant), Giovanni Nicoli, Giulia Russo, Sonia Caliaro
Partners in the MENA region
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Lebanese University, Liban: Yasmine Makaroun (main applicant)
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Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth, Liban: Nayla Tamraz
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Université Saint-Esprit Kaslik, Liban: Joseph Zaarour
Presentation of the project
Aim of the project was to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration among academic institutions, professional and heritage associations, creating an international network for the care of cultural heritage, and to jointly develop new methods, techniques and approaches to sustainably support disaster recovering (from emergency intervention to preservation and restoration). Many recent studies have shown that reconnecting the people with their local cultural heritage has large healing potential.
The activities have been developed within Sursock Palace, one of the most important private residences of Beirut, built by Moise Sursock in 1860. After the blast, the owners decided to create an association to help the recovering of the building and its opening to the public, showing its art collection and making it an active center to promote cultural activities in the city.
The core of the project was the 5 weeks workshop on-site open to Swiss and Lebanese researchers and students (from SUPSI, Lebanese University and Holy Spirit University Kaslik) and Lebanese professionals aimed to plan, develop, and execute practical, sustainable, and site-specific emergency techniques; particular attention was paid to Baghdadi ceilings and plaster decorative elements. The workshop provided the opportunity to have lessons on site and discussions and exchange of knowledge among the members of the different institutions involved.
A first international seminar Sursock Palace. Building a Road Map through Disaster Recovery to share knowledge and discuss open questions about the recovery of cultural heritage was organized in Beirut, with local attendance in presence and an international audience on-line (05.07.2022), and it was followed by a second international seminar Beirut. The role of memory in heritage conservation that took place on-line (03.04.2023).
During the project it was established a sound network of collaboration among three academic institutions that in Beirut provide education and research for the protection of the cultural heritage. The development of the activities was possible thanks to Yasmine Makaroun, from the Faculty of Fines Arts and Architecture, Center of Restoration and Conservation, Lebanese University - LU (strategic planning); Joseph Zaarour, Head of Conservation Restoration of Cultural Property Program, Holy Spirit University Kaslik - USEK (exchange of students and competences); and prof. Nayla Tamraz, Director of the Master and Ph.D. program in curatorial studies, University of Saint-Joseph - USJ (preventive conservation). The commitment of all the partners assured the achievement of the main goals. The collaboration with the RestArt Beirut Fund and with the Swiss Embassy in Lebanon helped to link the research activities with the professionals of cultural heritage and the civil society, involving local and international organizations for the preservation of cultural heritage (Ministry of Culture, UNESCO, …) business sector and local associations, NGOs (Association for Protecting Natural Sites and Old Buildings, Save Beirut Heritage, Beirut Heritage Initiative, ALIPH).
Two documents to present the international seminar (2022)
and the report of the second SUPSI mission on Palace Sursock, Beirut, 2022
Story on research.swiss (2023)
International Seminar 2023: the Role of memory Heritage conservation Part I and Part II