UNVEILING THE MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATIONS GM Architects Find Lebanon’s Fascinating History in the Layers of the Past

GM Architects unveiled “The Museum of Civilizations”, a museum prototype in the heart of Beirut city, nestled within the geological and archeological layers of the civilizations that once made the city their home. The unveiling took place at the Metropolitan Art Society in Ashrafieh and gathered architecture and culture enthusiasts as well as selective members of the Lebanese media scene. “The Museum of Civilizations” project was first presented last year at the 2014 Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition, where it received international recognition; the project also won the 2015 Architectural Review MIPIM Future Projects Award in the Cultural Regeneration Category. “Architecture should serve what surrounds it, not vice versa. Based on this premise, we created something that allows people to experience their culture beyond structures,” said Galal Mahmoud, President and Partner at GM Architects. “We would like to help the Lebanese people know more about their identity by looking back beyond the past few decades, to the thousands of years that have preceded our present and hold plenty of memories that should never be forgotten,” Mahmoud further added. Lebanon’s history lies in its infrastructure and geographical features, home to all that is memorable and precious, but nowadays elapsed in the trenches of oblivion. “The Museum of Civilizations” comes as a striking reminder of this great history at times when the city’s heritage is being devoured at an alarming rate. An exhibition showcasing the seven geological layers that the capital is built upon, spanning the Bronze Age, all the way to the Ottoman era, will run until April 24, 2015—(excluding Mondays)—from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Metropolitan Art Society, Ashrafieh, and is open to all of those curious to learn more about Beirut’s evolution throughout the years.