When I was a kid, I would watch movies in Cinema Vendome in Mar Mekhayel (Ashrafieh). I remember watching Flubber (Robin Williams, 1997) there.
I didn’t even know the building was being teared down till it was gone…
It was an old and decayed building but could have been given a face-lift.
I wonder what’s gonna be built there but hope it’s not one of those fugly high-rise buildings.
Enshallah “they” build something that suits Ashrafieh’s vintage architecture.
Hi mom. It's me. Beirut Boy. 
Yep.. they started it about two months ago and it was swiped out pretty fast. more bad news: the houses with red tiles behind what used to be Vendome are going away too. I hear that the whole thing is going to become an 18-story building with residential apartments + a hotel + a mall on street level… all this on picturesque mar mikhael street. leaves me speechless.
10x 4 the info GiB!
Now that is just fucked up.
Wish there was someone who really cared about preserving Mar Mikhael’s (& Gemmayze’s) architectural heritage…
well there’s this pseudo-NGO called “Save Beirut Heritage” that I mentioned in my post “Enough Already”, that’s trying to do something about it. The guy (Naji) is very dynamic and excited about his thing, you should connect with him if you feel like getting engaged!
NO WAY! I saw most of the Disney movies released from 95-98 there!
What’s left are the good memories 🙂
Flubber! I remember that movie!
As for the demolished building..when is enough enough? From what I’ve hear there are very few available plots of land in Beirut..so this is their solution..to demolish old buildings and build newer, taller ones, with more square footage.
All I have to say is that I’m happy that I got to see Beirut before all of its architectural heritage is lost. @GIB do you think that it is worth joining forces with the NGO?
Everyone should take a vested interest in saving Beirut’s heritage..
Build those skyscrapers!
Just don’t do it in these areas.
They just care about their pockets more than preserving heritage.