Monument for the Living

Monument for the Living, 2002-2008

Too tall to knock down, too dense to implode, Burj al-Murr (Murr tower) is a standing monument to the Lebanese civil war.
Located on the outskirts of the central district in Beirut, this landmark building was intended to be a commercial center with offices, cinemas, parking and shops. One of the tallest in the city, it stands thirsty-four stories high with four underground levels and is punctured by one hundred and ten windows.
In 1975, the civil war broke out and the work on the Murr Tower came to a halt, never to be completed. For the next two years, the skeleton of the building served as a strategic location in the frontline taking part in the infamous "Hotels War".
After this battle, the division of the city was officially established and the tower served various militias that occupied it. Prominently situated, the high floors were used as observation, sniping, and shelling points while the basements housed jails and ammunition storage.
In 2001, ten years after the cease-fire, the building was still dysfunctional due to structural problems.
In 2005, the Lebanese army occupied the tower as a military station point after the assassination of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.
In 2016, the tower became a permanent armory.