The Grand Théâtre, Lebanon also known as the Grand Théâtre des Mille et Une Nuits was a theatre located in
downtown Beirut,
Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
. The structure is currently unused.
Overview
It was designed by
Youssef Aftimos
Youssef Aftimus (; 25 November 1866 – 10 September 1952) was a Lebanese civil engineer and architect who specialized in Moorish Revival architecture. Aftimus was the leading Lebanese architect and urban planner during the first half of the twe ...
and built in the 1920s by Jaques Tabet (a poet and theater lover). The building opened in 1929. The Grand Théâtre hosted throughout the years international performances and movie productions.
History
It was part of a commercial center that housed a hotel, rental apartments, offices and shops. The construction of the Grand Théâtre on the corner of Emir Bashir and Syria streets blocked the original 1878 design of a major thoroughfare connecting the harbor to the Pine Forest at the city's southern limit. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium of the theatre accommodated 630 seats with an orchestra, two balconies, and machinery for stage sets. A small electrically-operated steel dome slid on rails, allowing the roof to open for ventilation. A domed ceiling with decorated stained glass covered the lobby.
The Grand Théâtre opened in 1929 with a French musical called ''
No, No, Nanette
''No, No, Nanette'' is a musical with a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play ''My Lady Friends''; lyrics by Irving Caesar and Harbach; and music by Vincent Youmans. The farcical story centers on three coup ...
'', adapted from a Broadway success. The theatre later hosted the Comédie Française, the Ballet des Champs-Elysées, the Egyptian Ramses Group, and concerts by
Abdel Wahab and
Um Kalthoum. The Grand Théâtre also screened international movie productions and catered for major literary and charity events. From the 1960s onwards, it operated solely as a movie theater. During the
Lebanese civil war
The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon.
The religious diversity of the ...
the building was used for various purposes (pornographic movies projection, field hospital). It was damaged and was progressively abandoned due to the heavy fighting in the area.
After the war the Grand Théâtre fell under the control of
Solidere
Solidere s.a.l. is a Lebanese joint-stock company in charge of planning and redeveloping Beirut Central District following the conclusion, in 1990, of the Lebanese Civil War. By agreement with the government, Solidere has special powers of emi ...
. The facade was restored and the building partially repaired. Solidere had plans to convert the building into a boutique hotel,
[https://solidere.com/sites/default/files/attached/ar2009.pdf ] but as of today the Grand Théâtre remains unused.
Timeline
* 1920s: the Grand Théâtre is designed by
Youssef Aftimus
Youssef Aftimus (; 25 November 1866 – 10 September 1952) was a Lebanese people, Lebanese civil engineer and architect who specialized in Moorish Revival architecture. Aftimus was the leading Lebanese architect and urban planner during the first ...
and built by Jacques Tabet
* 1929: opening
* 1960s: the Grand Théâtre is repurposed as a movie theater
* 1975-1990: damaged by the civil war
* 1994: ownership transferred to
solidere
Solidere s.a.l. is a Lebanese joint-stock company in charge of planning and redeveloping Beirut Central District following the conclusion, in 1990, of the Lebanese Civil War. By agreement with the government, Solidere has special powers of emi ...
. Restoration of the facade and partial repairs.
* 2019: large numbers of Lebanese found an opportunity to rediscover the Grand Théâtre during the
mass protests
See also
*
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
*
Beirut Central District
The Beirut Central District is the historical and geographical central business district, core of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Also called downtown Beirut, it has been described as the “vibrant financial, commercial, and administrative ...
*
Comedie Francaise
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium.
Origins
Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
*
Moorish Revival architecture
Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of Romanticist Orientalism. It reached the height of its popularity after the mid-19th centu ...
*
Theatre of Lebanon
Theatre in Lebanon has its origin in passion plays. The musical plays of Maroun Naccache from the mid-1800s are considered the birth of modern Arab theatre. Some scholars, such as Abdulatif Shararah, have divided Lebanese theatre into three hist ...
*
Youssef Aftimos
Youssef Aftimus (; 25 November 1866 – 10 September 1952) was a Lebanese civil engineer and architect who specialized in Moorish Revival architecture. Aftimus was the leading Lebanese architect and urban planner during the first half of the twe ...
References
{{Reflist
*Sassine, Farès et Tuéni, Ghassan (direction) (2003) El-Bourj. Place de la Liberté et Porte du Levant, Editions Dar An-Nahar, Beyrouth.
*http://blogbaladi.com/a-look-inside-le-grand-theatre-de-beirut/
*Georges Arbid Collection, Arab Center for Architecture, Beirut.
External links
Grand Theatre: a Tale of Beirut (video documentary by Omar Naim)Le Grand Théâtre de Beyrouth in 15 Breathtaking Pictures
Buildings and structures in Beirut
Culture in Beirut
Tourist attractions in Beirut