Who Is She

Personal information

Architect, Curator, Director, NGO Founder
Mona El Hallak Ghaibeh

Contact information / Work

113-6097
Beirut
Lebanon
Mobile: 
731193 3 961

Education

Education: 
  • Master's degree, Architecture, 1994, Syracuse University - Florence Program, United States of America.
  • Bachelor degree, 1990, Architecture, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

Areas of expertise

Expertise: 
  • Architecture
  • Art (Curator)
  • Heritage Preservation
  • Activism
Languages: 
  • Arabic
  • English
  • French
  • Italian

Work history

Jobs: 
  • Director, 2017-present, AUB Neighborhood Initiative, American University of Beirut.
  • Director and Architect, 2000 - present, Mona El Hallak - Architect.
  • Senior Associate, 1991 - 2000, Rais & Jamal – Architects and Engineers.

Honorary office and memberships

  • Member of the Order of Engineers and Architects, 1990 - present.
  •  Member of the "Association pour le Sauvegarde des Sites et Anciens Demeures au Liban" [Association for the Protection of Sites and Old Buildings in Lebanon] (APSAD), 2006 - present.
  • Member of ICOMOS “International Council of Monuments and sites”, 2018 - present
  • Founding member of Irab (Non-governmental organization for archiving Arab music), 2005 - present.
  • Founding Member of Zakira (Non-governmental organization for promoting photography), 2005 - present.

Productions

Major achievements: 
  • Succeeded in lobbying for the preservation of the "Barakat Building" in Sodeco between 1994 and 2009. The building currently known as Beit Beirut will be turned into a museum in commemoration of the city of Beirut.
  • Succeeded in lobbying for the preservation of the eclectic “toy block” building in Sanayeh facing the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, 2000.
  • Design of Several Architectural Projects including:
  1. Ras Beirut 888 Residential Building, Beirut, 2016.
  2. Talleh 2550 Residential Building, Beirut, 2012.
  3. Burj Kronfol Residential Tower, Mathaf - Beirut, 2011.
  4. Le Cyprés Residential Tower, Beirut, 2011.
  5. Sands Residential Building, Ramlet el Baida - Beirut, 2009.
  6. Waves Residential Building, Ramlet el Baida - Beirut, 2009.
  7. Jabado Garden Residential Building, Qraytem - Beirut, 2006.
Exhibitions, lectures & performances: 
  • “The Photo Mario Archive Project - Recapturing the Memory of a Neighborhood Photography Studio” (Installation), Beit Beirut, Beirut, 2017.
  • "Museum of Memory" (Installation), The National Heritage Day, Unesco Palace, Beirut, 2009.
  • "Lost Faces" (installation), Ayloul Festival, Le Grenier, Beirut, 2001.
  • Participated as a speaker at several public lectures and local and international conferences around the preservation of heritage buildings and sites in Beirut, the journey from the Barakat Building to the Museum of Memory of the City, and the importance of preserving built and natural heritage in shaping the collective memory and identity of the city.

Awards and Distinctions

Awards: 
  • "Areen Award" for Excellence in Architecture by the School of Architecture at the American University of Beirut (AUB) for the final year project, 1990.
  • “Ordre National du Merite au grade de Chevalier” received from the President of the French Republic in July 2013 in recognition of my work and achievements, 2013.
  • "Distinguished Alumnus of the Architecture and Design Department - AUB" during the 15th Annual FEA Student and Alumni Conference in recognition  of her active role as an architect in the protection and celebration of the heritage of the city of Beirut, 2016.