On 4 August 2020, Beirut was rocked by the biggest non-nuclear explosion ever recorded in an urban context. How should the reconstruction of the city now take place in its current political and socio-economic context?​

This symposium will look at the different forces that shaped what happened, the incident itself, and the different strategies required to reconstruct Beirut in the aftermath of this tragedy. As a series of short-term and long-term proposals, sessions across this day-long event will be chaired by AA students and will discuss ways in which heritage, reconstruction, community-led projects, and interdisciplinary exchange can all be addressed in the post-blast context.

00:00 – 0:38 – Introduction (Riyad Yassine)
00:38 – 2:30 – Session Introduction (Judi Diab)
2:31 – 7:59 – Le Palais Sursock. A Photographic Record of Destruction – (Alex Cochrane)
8:38 – 20:44 – Shelter in (a) place; Beirut Post Blast – (Rana Samara/NUSANED)
21:23 – 28:58 – Bebw’shebbek: A grassroots’ role in urban resurrection post-blast – (Mariana Wehbe)
28:59 – 59:11 – Discussion/Q&A