Ottoman chic

by Marianne Stigset September 1, 2005

written by Marianne Stigset September 1, 2005

Lebanon’s architectural heritage has had a rough 50 years. Ever since the economic boom of the 1950s, which spurred real estate growth, launching the era of concrete modern high-rises at the expense of turn-of-the-century old buildings, the latter have been dwindling. Those that withstood the civil war were subsequently threatened with demolishment, as owners without the financial means to restore them, realized they could make more profit selling them to real estate developers who would build modern apartment blocks. Activists did mobilize in the mid-1990s with the Association for Protecting Natural Sites and Old Buildings in Lebanon at their helm, drawing up a list of over 1,000 classified houses (Solidere managed to save 290 buildings from the pre-war era). Yet today “old” buildings represent a mere 2.5% of the real estate market. “In the mind of the Lebanese, any old building could be torn down and resurrected into a block

Marianne Stigset

Marianne Stigset has over two decades of international experience in corporate communications, investor relations, public affairs and sustainability, with a deep understanding of the energy transition and clean energy technologies. She is well versed in multi-stakeholder engagement, developing targeted communication strategies and clear and compelling messaging. She started her career at the World Bank and has since held leadership positions in Bloomberg News, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Aker ASA, Aker Property Group AS and Corporate Communications AS. Marianne currently serves as Director of Communications and External Affairs at Aker Horizons, and supports the NGA project in its communications and knowledge dissemination work.

Ottoman chic

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