City in Layers Solidere Annual Report 2010

“16 years of destruction. 16 years of reconstruction.” The Solidere Annual Report 2010 occasions a moment of reflection. In its dedication to the lens of a single photographer, City in Layers reflects time, seasons, corridors and city portraits. Beirut city centre is narrated through Gabriele Basilico’s 1991, 2003 and 2011 images, labelled by archive numbers and punctuated by inserts. Translucent paper overlays text and image. Tranquil white terrains echo Basilico’s introspection, whose work contemplates stillness while capturing urban transformation. The cotton cover wrapped with tissue suggests layers of city fabric. The report explores a new approach to document Solidere’s work in Beirut, a place where history, present and future emerge and evolve in unexpected ways. Statement by the jury »The annual report stands out through high aesthetic design achievements: predominant are the impressive image and photo series, which are complemented by a classic and reduced typography as well as the highly effective use of material qualities and different types of paper. «