Amin Maalouf’s 80-Year-Old House Demolished to Make Room for Skyscraper

The title says it all.

Lebanon’s Minister of Culture, Gaby Layoun, has been reported by The Daily Star to have approved the destruction of the house—also called the Medawar building—of famed Lebanese author, Amin Maalouf.

The building is nearly 80-years-old, and was created with an architectural pattern unique to the time it was constructed—the like of which is no longer implemented today. As if the destruction of Lebanese heritage wasn’t enough, on October 23 Layoun released the following statement, in effect supporting the building of a 22-story skyscraper in the Medawar building’s place.

“The Culture Ministry approves the destruction of the building on plot 3696 in Mazraa since the building belongs to the transitional period of the French mandate and its architecture does not have any unique traditional techniques.”

And there you have it folks. Buildings that were once dubbed—and by the very same minister—as “unique” are evidently no longer classified so when money is involved. And so, the novelty of commerce and modernity quell the weak whispers of authenticity. And when even the Minister of Culture approves, what have we left but ineffective arguments?