Niemeyer's forgotten legacy in Lebanon faces threats

Architectural Record

One day in 1962, Oscar Niemeyer found himself strapped into the seat of a helicopter thundering over a tract of land on the outskirts of Tripoli, Lebanon. After two circuits over the city, the nervous architect (Niemeyer hated flying) told his project manager, “OK, we can go back. I’ve decided the best location for the fair.” At the time, the Brazilian architect was riding the wave of success from his work in Brasilia, the new capital of his home country. Niemeyer’s revolutionary designs had spurred a flurry of interest from international clients, among them the Lebanese, who gave him nearly 250 acres of land to design the grounds for a grand World’s Fair meant to showcase the country’s development and innovation.

From: Architectural Record
FULL STORY