ABSTRACT
The bar and restaurant are located on the ‘green line’, the border that once separated Christian East Beirut from the Muslim factions in West Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War. In Centrale, Khoury has attempted to romanticise the notion of war, and of destruction and decay, for an audience all too familiar with the harsh truth of what such a conflict really means. The ground floor of Centrale is paved throughout with blocks resembling cobblestones that continue into the garden, thereby establishing a sense of visual continuity. The Centrale aesthetic is far removed from the kind of slick and clean modern interiors that are conceived and perfectly executed as a tabula rasa. Khoury relied heavily upon local building materials and expertise during the creation of Centrale and local workers were responsible for its execution. Since the restaurant aims to attract a relatively well-off clientele, Centrale offers an exclusive dining experience.
