The Hangar was built on property number 155 in Haret Hreik in the mid-1950s to house the business of the Abela brothers. They would buy vegetables and fruits in order to prepare them for distribution. The best quality produce was exported to the neighboring countries and what remained was sold locally. The Hangar was used for this purpose until the end of the 1960s when the Abela brothers decided to move their business to a location near the Beirut International Airport, which itself had been moved from Bir Hassan to where it is today.
In the early 1970s, the Hangar was used for two years by a company that purchased eggs wholesale and re-sold them to local merchants and small shops. This lasted until the final stages of the civil war. At that time, a small printing press took refuge in the Hangar and the first chapter of the Hangars history officially ended.
The Hangar remained completely dormant until early 2004, when UMAM commenced its renovation. The Hangar was reopened on April 15, 2005 with a film screening entitled Liban dans Le Tourmente. Since then, regular activities have been held here, including film screenings, round-tables, and exhibitions.
All projects and events were suspended after the outbreak of the war and on Sunday, August 6, 2006 around 4:30 p.m., as part of the live coverage of the ongoing violence, Lebanese media reported that Israeli fighter planes had just bombed Haret Hreik for the umpteenth time. Nothing unusual, given that the bombing of Beiruts southern suburbs and particularly Haret Hreik had become a kind of daily sport for the Israeli pilots since the beginning of the war on the 12th of July. As it happens, on this particular day, Israeli planes targeted a building which is located 100 meters behind UMAMs offices and the Hangar. Thankfully, the damage was only material. Nonetheless, it demanded months of repair and meant mourning documents that have been lost forever.
10 months later, thanks to the institutional support of Medico International and the Prince Claus Emergency Fund, we were extremely pleased to reopen the Hangar with the exhibition Collecting Dahiyeh. The scheduling of exhibitions, film screenings and other public events has resumed, and you can find details and pictures of past, current and future projects in the menu on the left.
For more pictures of the reconstruction that followed both the civil war and thedamage to the Hangar in 2006, see Photo Gallery above.
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