the creation of a collective memory and a unified account of the civil war would help the Lebanese to move forward and mend the societal divisions. In 2007, then Beirut's mayor Abdel Menem al-Aris affirmed that the prospected memory museum will showcase the city’s history and most notably the civil war. Although part the exterior is slated for renovation, the ground and first floors of the Barakat building's ruined facade will be kept in its decrepit state, to serve as a reminder of the city's wartime history. Bullet holes and sniper barricades are to be kept in their original places as well as the belongings of Fouad Chemali, a local dentist who occupied an apartment in the building's first floor since 1943. The Beit Beirut second floor is to function as a permanent exhibition which recounts the history of Beirut from the nineteenth century onward. The exhibition will include documents, records and the municipality's archive which will be made accessible to the public. The upper floors will be renovated to house a multifunctional hall for temporary cultural, artistic and musical events. Other names Initially known as Barakat building, the structure was dubbed the Yellow house due to the yellow ochre color of the sandstone. The name of the building changed with the alteration of its function; it was called the building of death during the civil war. The cultural center hosted in the building was first called "Museum of memory" and "Beit al Madina" (the house of the city) before settling for "Beit Beirut" (the house of Beirut). Notes References Buildings and structures completed in 1924 Museums in Beirut Ottoman architecture in Lebanon Planned municipal developments