Beirut city center recovery : the Foch Allenby and Etoile conservation area Interface zones between port and city : general issues Foch Allenby and Etoile : interface between port and city Evolving planning vision Present strategies of integration Emergence and rise of a gateway district From Khan to office building Evolving frontages Shaping the street frontage Adapting streetscape to district character Recovering building exteriors Stone works Modernizing building interiors Institutional and operational framework Conclusion. Assessing the Solidere model : the Foch Allenby and Etoile experience The Foch Allenby and Etoile area epitomizes the development of Beiruts civic business and cultural identity as a national capital and as a port city. Evolving from the heart of the old city in the mid nineteenth century to the showcase of the French Mandate in the Levant the area became the symbol of the citys reconstruction following the 1975 1990 Lebanon war. Proceedings according to a pre approved but flexible master plan the recovery of Beirut city center is a major postwar reconstruction and urban regeneration project. It is spearheaded by Solidere a private real estate company established by special legislation in 1994 and capitalized with property right holders contributions in kind and new investors cash contributions. BOOK JACKET