Before and After
It is easy to rehabilitate a site and to preserve it; however, it is difficult to link its memory with the present. That’s the challenge that Alexandra and Georges Asseily took upon themselves in 1990. They decided to re-create their project whilst respecting the identity of the historical building and its natural environment.
Together, the silk factory and the site now form a unique inseparable landscape.
Main Exhibition Halls
In 2001 the old silk factory was finally transformed into a silk museum whilst keeping its patrimonial identity as well as conserving its various functions.
The Vault entrance to the Museum
During the restoration work, the goal was to remain faithful to the original architecture while utilising the same materials used in the original structure.
Some changes were made to complement the former functions of the building and to facilitate the access to it and its use.
Landscape Terraces & Garden
The redevelopment of the landscape began by the clearance of the trails, gentle re- landscaping and the reconstruction of the terraces, followed by the conservation of the traditional Lebanese trees like olive trees, mulberry trees, fruit trees, as well as over time adding to a variety of endemic plants that were already found on the site.