Francesca Pompei's Photo Reportage on Lebanon's Stalled Reconstruction

Francesca Pompei's photo reportage documents Lebanon's stalled reconstruction, focusing on the social and economic disparities exacerbated by post-war development. The country, still reeling from the 1975-1990 civil war, saw a hypermodern reconstruction in the 1990s centered on Beirut's Zaitunay Bay, funded by private investors and Arab and US capital. This development, lacking regulation or a master plan, concentrated on central districts while leaving other neighborhoods and interior regions without infrastructure. Lebanon now faces its worst crisis since the civil war, with bankruptcy, corruption, and electricity shortages. The problem is political and economic, not sectarian. Many buildings are under endless renovation, while most historical and urban heritage is neglected. Reconstruction could be an opportunity to rethink the past for a better future, involving younger generations, new ideas, and a green wave. Some architectural and spatial practices try to mitigate social imbalance, but much remains to be done. The photos were taken at: an abandoned Liberty villa in Ghazir (Keserwan district, Mount Lebanon Governorate); the ruined railway station in Tripoli; a devastated building in central Tripoli; ruins of a residential building in Sodeco, one of Beirut's oldest neighborhoods; an abandoned building in Tallet Jounblat district, Beirut; a building under renovation in Gemmayze; the synagogue in Bhamdoun (Aley district); and the Grand Sofar Hotel in Sofar.