Trees in the Gefinor plaza

The Gefinor plaza is home to one of our favorite restaurants, Gruen. The lines of stylized trees seem to compliment the modernist design of the building. The Gruen Eatery is named for the architect of the office complex, (first name: Victor), know as the designer of " the world's first true shopping mall."

"Victor Gruen was a Jewish bohemian who began to design shops for fellow immigrants in New York after failing in cabaret theatre. His work was admired partly for its uncluttered, modernist look, which seemed revolutionary in 1930s America. But Gruen's secret was the way he used arcades and eye-level display cases to lure customers into stores almost against their will. As a critic complained, his shops were like mousetraps. A few years later the same would be said of his shopping malls."

    From "The Rise and fall of the shopping mall," The Economist Dec 19th 2007

Comments

[Betty]

So nice to see the photos of the Gefinor plaza where we shared a wonderful dessert with some family members during our visit to Beirut. Nice to learn about Victor.

[Linda]

What kind of trees are these?