Tony Salamé’s Aïshti Foundation, realised despite the odds, opens with the exhibition New Skin

Lebanese retail mogul Tony Salamé’s Aïshti Foundation, a massive red bunker with laser-cut skin designed by architect David Adjaye, shone on Sunday night on Beirut’s Jal el Dib motorway. One last crane towering over the sea was the only sign of the manic last-minute race to complete the new mall and art space on time for the launch, for which many flew in from Singapore, New York, Paris and London. The event was the culmination of a weekend of festivities announcing the opening of the sprawling luxury lifestyle and art complex on the Mediterranean, which cost more than US$100 million (Dh367m) to build. More than 3,000 guests attended, including international names such as artists Daniel Buren and Maurizio Cattelan and art dealers Simon de Pury and Jeffrey Deitch.

The anticipation was palpable as hundreds of patrons entered the vast marble lobby and made their way up the escalators, surrounded by Dolce & Gabbana, Céline, Prada or Moschino boutiques. Guests took the elevators towards the art foundation, adjacent to the mall, and moved to the seaside terrace for nibbles and drinks under a spectacular bronze tree sculpture by Italian artist Giuseppe Penone.

“Thank you, David, for the elegance and sophistication you parted on the design,” said Tony Salamé, 48, who started the Aïshti fashion stores 25 years ago and now brings major luxury brands to the region. Proud that his team had achieved a Herculean project in a bleak political context, he added: “We finished this project in two years and four months.”

Original article by Shirine Saad

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Tony Salamé’s Aïshti Foundation, realised despite the odds, opens with the exhibition New Skin