Matthieu Salvaing and Guillaume Excoffier Introduce their Book “Modernist Beirut” at Pinto
In the 1950s, Beirut and Lebanon became a genuine laboratory for architectural modernity in the Middle East, attracting the greatest architects on a national and international scale. Lebanese institutions and major companies turned to concrete and so-called brutalist forms, playing a major role in the revival of architecture worldwide. While this period saw the birth of a plethora of buildings, “Modernist Beirut” is an invitation to discover about thirty, some of them little known, selected by gallery owner Guillaume Excoffier and admirably captured by Matthieu Salvaing’s photographic eye.
Through their selection, the authors invite readers to retrace their own journey and plunge into the very heart of Modernist Lebanon through a rich and international lens. From public commissions, such as Oscar Niemeyer’s emblematic Tripoli International Fair and André Wogenscky’s Ministry of Defence, to private villas by Henri Edde and Khalil Khoury’s Interdesign building, this book is a celebration of Lebanon’s happy history, rooted in modernity and open to the world.
The launch evening took place on Wednesday 13 at Pinto Éditions, and gathered personalities like Isabel Marant, Alexandre de Betak, India Mahdavi, Cordelia de Castellane, Yorgo Tloupas, and Lorena Vergani, among many others.
Photos: Ayka Lux
