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Modern Architecture in Lebanon: City Center Movie Theater (The Egg)

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City Center Movie Theater

1968

Joseph Philippe Karam

Located on Bechara el Khoury Street in the Central District of the capital, the City Center or Salha-Samadi complex is mostly distinguished due to its striking movie theater. As the building code forbade to have movie theaters under buildings for safety purposes, the resourceful engineer/ architect elevated the theater and provided a large retail area below. The result is a sculptural movie theater 34m long, 23m wide, and 13m high, originally named the City Palace but soon surnamed the egg or the soap. The air conditioning ducts run between the outer and inner skins of the shell.

city center cinema beirut old photo 1968 blf headquarters blog series
An-Nahar Archives
Arab Center for Architecture
An-Nahar Archives
Joseph Philippe Karam

( 8 comments )

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  • Rime kesserwan

    من اكثر المباني الملهمة للفنانين في العاصمة بيروت، كتير حلو هل المبنة

    May 30, 2019
  • abed hayek

    I intend to invest with you

    May 30, 2019
    • mm
      BLF-Lebanon

      Dear Mr. Hayek,
      Thank you for your feedback. Our team will be glad to assist you. You may visit your nearest BLF branch or send us a detailed email to info@eblf.com.

      June 7, 2019
  • Ali

    What about reestablishing it !

    May 28, 2019
  • Teddy azar

    One of best design in beirut ❤️ #lostcity

    December 4, 2018
  • Yasmin Cheema

    Brilliant

    April 28, 2018
  • Hyam Gemayel

    كم يحاكي هذا المبنى حنين ذكريات طفولتنا…اه بيروت…ضاعت فيك سعادة الماضي….
    وكيف ننسى عندما تجمهرنا اهلا واصحابا وجيران..وكنا في عمر الولدنة
    لنذهب ونتفرج على هذا المجمّع الذي كان وقتها شاغل حديث الناس وعلى ما اذكر لنشاهد فيلم سيدة الشاشة العربية “امبراطورية ميم”
    اه ..بيروت…ذكريات في البال…هل تعود

    April 28, 2018
  • Raymond karam

    Riz alla ktir kenit moumayazi

    April 24, 2018