Friday, January 11, 2019

The skyscrapper-inspired Corm House in Lebanon

Left "The Chysler Building" now for sale, and right the Corm House in Beirut
The Chrysler Building in New York has hit the market with no price tag. Lebanon has its own Corm House (the first skyscrapper in the Middle East) and which took its name after its founder who was called the "reluctant tycoon" and who retired at the age of forty to focus his life on his writing and philanthropic activities. Corm himself designed the house and though it is said to be a miniature Empire State Building, the resemblance to the Chrysler Building is also uncanny. Mr. Corm held the Ford Motor Company dealership in the Middle East and established branches in countries in the region (often building roads to make the branches accessible as well).
The house in question apparently contained a wealth of designer furniture (Marcel Breuer chairs
etc...) which combatants burned a part of as to procure heating during the war since the house had the bad luck of being situated along the infamous greenline (not too far from the museum).