Beirut: three dimensional modelling of the city

Beirut is undergoing transformation from the legacy of civil war in Lebanon. Teams of multi-national, multi-discipline professionals are collaborating to bring the city back to life. Solidere, a Lebanese joint-stock company, was created by government decree in 1994 to reconstruct Beirut city-centre. The company, a form of public-private partnership, has a majority share holding of former owners and tenants of city-centre property. Several projects are underway, including the redevelopment of Place des Martyrs, once the bustling heart of Beirut but badly damaged during the war. An international competition is being launched by Solidere to invite leading architects to submit design proposals for this historic area. This paper describes the development of a 3D computer model to visually describe the spatial characteristics of Martyrs Square and its context. The study examines the process and end results of the visualisation and raises issues of technology and knowledge transfer in a global marketplace