An Encounter With Raoul Verney, The Man, The Architect, The Educator

LAU Beirut Campus, Gezairi Building, Chafica Balaa Lecture Hall 403

Raoul Verney (1930- 2017) is a French national who was born and educated in Lebanon where he practiced architecture between 1954, date of his graduation from The Ecole supérieure d’ingénieurs de Beyrouth’, and 2012 when he ceased his professional activity. Verney’s oeuvre spans over 58 years and is uncompromis- ingly modern and holistic in its approach covering architecture, interior, and land- scape. He mastered the manipulation of pure geometry, material, and light to produce mystical structures that engage of their both viewers and users.

This symposium will introduce the attendees to the life, work, thought, and teaching of Verney through a series of short talks.

The ongoing archiving mission of his work will be presented as well, including the latest workshop at the Lebanese American University where students restored 48 of Verney’s scale models. An exhibition of these models will be inau- gurated at the end of the symposium.