Building Ibrahim Sursock

Notes

In 1935, Bahjat Abdulnour designed and built the Ibrahim Sursock Building in Khan Al-Khachab, a landmark of modernism in Beirut, until it was demolished after the war during the reconstruction of the Beirut Central District. It was composed of one basement, a ground floor, and six floors, the last two being recessed. The building cost 20,000 Turkish Liras, as mentioned on a letter of recommendation by owner Ibrahim Sursock addressed to the architect.
The building was a pioneer in many ways. It may have been one of the first buildings to have elevators in Beirut (some attribute the first elevator to the Ladki building which was facing the Grand Théatre), central heating, running hot water, and a garage in the basement. There, large spans of reinforced concrete drop beams ensured the easy car circulation. The ground floor included an inner space which housed the oriental cuisine restaurant 'Aref' with a fountain in the middle. The  building included clinics, offices, and furnished studios in the last two floors. This massive monolith displayed a rational horizontal treatment of openings and a bold mass devoid of decoration, far from the historicist references used two years earlier with the Cinema Opéra. Many architects had their offices there including Umberto Turati, and possibly Youssef Aftimus.

Sources

Architect brochure

3rd floor plan from Ferdinand Dagher

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