São Paulo – Architecture professors Joseph Nasr, from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, and June Kosimar, of Ryerson University, in Toronto, Canada, presented on Monday (10) at the College of Architecture and Urbanism at the University of São Paulo (FAO-USP) a research that shows the architectural elements of architect Oscar Niemeyer in the building of the Rachid Karami International Fair, in Lebanon.
The work, which is little known in the Arab country, was designed by the Brazilian architect in 1961 and started being built in the following year. “The (Lebanese government’s) idea behind creating the project was to revitalise the city of Tripoli,” said Nasr. According to his studies, the government of Lebanon wanted a prominent project, a place that could attract personalities and house several kinds of exhibitions.
In 1975, when the site was almost finished, the construction needed to be interrupted due to the civil war in the country and was completed, in early 1990, after the conflict ended. However, according to Nasr, the space did not work out as a great exhibition centre, and it did not gain the expected international visibility. Today, in some parts of the building there are exhibitions and other kinds of activities, but what calls most attention in the area is the immense garden.
At the site, though, it is possible to identify typical traces of Niemeyer’s work, like arches, domes and marquees, as may be seen at Three Powers Square, in Brasília, at the Ibirapuera Park Marquee, in São Paulo, and at the University of Brasília. “Niemeyer’s arches and elements used in Brasília are the same as those used in Tripoli, but in lower scale,” said June.
According to her, the exhibition hall in Tripoli was Niemeyer’s first project abroad, but few people know about it. "With the promotion of this research we plan for the work in Tripoli to be recognised as the fist great project by Niemeyer abroad,” added June.
The researchers said to ANBA that in future they plan to publish a book about the research they are completing. They also want to have a second interview with the Brazilian architect. The first was in 2007, when they met to discuss the Rachid Karami International Fair.
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Niemeyer was born in Rio de Janeiro and is 102 years old. In Brazil he is renowned for his work in the federal capital. The architect designed the main buildings in Brasília, like Alvorada Palace, the official residence of the president of the Republic, and Planalto Palace, the seat of the federal government.
In the Arab nations, the architect is also well known in Algeria, where he was responsible for the construction of the University of Constantine, the Civic Centre of Algiers, Algiers Mosque and the Technological Science and Human Science University.
*Translated by Mark Ament
