Kheirallah’s watermill, currently a property of the Lebanese Directorate General of Antiquities, is a 19th century watermill located in Baalbek. It is believed to date back to the ottoman period, during the mid-nineteenth century: between 1831 and 1892. It was originally called, up to the twentieth century, the well’s mill or “Tahunet el Bir” because of the well located right in front of its North-East façade, a circular well linked to the historical “Ras al Ain” river, that forms an essential element for powering the mill. The mill’s modern name follows the name of its previous late owner who used to operate it: Qasem Kheirallah.
The project consisted of a full restoration and adaptive reuse study of the mill. After conducting architectural assessments, structural diagnosis and historical studies, the restoration and rehabilitation proposal was developed. The restoration concept focuses on the respect of the existing heritage structure, its delicate preservation and the architectural harmony vis à vis the new additions. A modern spiral staircase was added to the mill’s façade as a signal of its so-far-hidden presence, and as a functional representation of its mechanical aspect: The turning wheel. The project, inspired by the mill’s social facet, will become a gathering informational facility, representing the city and its people. It will serve as a core, attracting and then dispersing the people around the old city, to learn and get a taste of its traditional habits, products and culinary produces.
The purpose of the rehabilitation project was to give back to the mill its former glory as a social and active space within and for the city.
