Larry E. McPherson: Beirut City Center

The Lebanese Civil War dominated life in Beirut from 1975 until 1990. When it ended, a massive rebuilding began, with the goal of making its Central District the finest city center in the Middle East. In 2002 Larry E. McPherson was commissioned to document this transition. Between 2002 and 2004 he spent a total of six months there, and his understated, visually affectionate photographs convey the natural beauty of Beirut's position between the Mediterranean and Lebanon's snow covered mountains. Beirut City Center encompasses archeological sites made into public areas, gardens, perfectly restored Ottoman and French architecture, and elegantly integrated new construction, and conveys both the practical and symbolic importance of building again.