Beirut’s Nuhad Es-Said pavilion aims to ‘unite all Lebanese people’

• Dedicated to memory of Lebanese art connoisseur and curator

• Nation has ‘beautiful’ culture, says heritage expert Lama Salam

Updated 1 min 43 sec ago

Dalal Awienat

March 04, 2026 11:24

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DUBAI: The recently inaugurated Nuhad Es-Said pavilion at the National Museum of Beirut is envisioned as a space where Lebanese from all walks of life can unite to celebrate culture and art.

Dedicated to the memory of Lebanese art connoisseur and curator Nuhad Es-Said, it occupies a special area within the museum, creating an environment that encourages artistic and cultural conversations.

“We want to reiterate the museum’s position in society and the pavilion will be viewed as a cultural hub and unite all Lebanese people,” Lama Salam, a member of the National Heritage Foundation in Lebanon, told Arab News.

“As Lebanese people, our culture and heritage unite us. The more we sit down, research and discuss our heritage and see that we have so much to be proud of the more we realize how beautiful our culture is,” she added.

The pavilion features a restaurant and multi-purpose seating area that can be rented out and used for galleries, showcases and events.

Salam said the design of the pavilion features large gates and archways as an ode to the museum’s architecture.

“Gates were already part of the museum’s foundation but we chose to incorporate them more to symbolize something more significant,” said Salam.

“The gates act as symbolic portals from the past leading to the present and hopefully into the future. As you pass through all these gates you walk through the past, the present and, God willing, through to the beginning of the future.”

Salam described visiting the pavilion as a unique experience unlike offerings at traditional museums.

“When you sit in the restaurant, you are surrounded by history, the preserved iron gates, the historic wall, and a beautiful view of Beirut’s green racetrack with pine trees in the background.

“Since this pavilion is an annex to the national museum, which we consider a cultural treasure, it offers a unique experience,” she said.