Pierre El-Khoury
Distinguished architect Pierre El-Khoury leaves a dazzling visual legacy By
Samir Khalaf - Special to The Daily Star
Pierre El-Khoury, arguably Lebanon's most distinguished and prolific architect, died after succumbing to bone cancer on Monday. Like much of his sparkling career and his brilliant and rich architectural heritage, particularly his refined and delicate aesthetic sensibilities, he chose to part from us with a characteristic dignity. As he nursed the debilitating pain of his affliction with gracious silence and fortitude, he continued to produce some of his most dazzling works. None of his friends and colleagues, not even his most intimate and inner circle, knew he was ill. Though Khoury will be unable to take pride in his dozen projects currently underway, Beirut's skyline will become more aesthetically pleasing, dotted by his stellar architectural icons. Khoury was part of a select core of Western-trained architects who returned to Lebanon in the mid-1950s, the second generation who matched the pioneering heritage of the "founding fathers." What distinguished Khoury's life and work was his more exclusive and purified perception of his career as architect. Except for a brief stint as minister of public works (1983-84), most of his creative energies were directed toward architectural projects. His prolific output (over 200 projects), let alone its diversity and refined aestheticism, is testimony to that.
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