Fairground of Lebanon in Tripoli and the War. Meanings and Challenges for the Future

The Fairground of Lebanon in Tripoli, designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer in collaboration with many Lebanese architects and engineers, was built from 1963 to 1975 and never completed. It was occupied by armed forces and then by a foreign army during the “civil” war (1975–1989) until it was abandoned around 1995. Since such information is sensitive, it is not easy to find or gain access to documentation about the wartime period. The rare traces of the military occupation can be found in the archive preserved in the basement of the Fair, in some feasibility studies held by former politicians, in visible traces on concrete walls, and in some interviews. These sources confirm that this unique utopian place was used for a considerable time for violent actions. The paper aims to investigate what happened during these years (1975–1995). Recently, the high interest from abroad stimulated the promulgation of a law in March 2022 for its conservation and reuse. A knowledge of events during the war period could contribute to defining the strategy for the future of this architectural complex, as an outstanding example of Lebanese Modernism in architecture.