Unfinished Aquarium, Lebanon

The Unfinished Aquarium occupies a prime stretch of the seafront in Lebanon, about an hour’s drive north of Beirut. This tall concrete cylinder is a prominent landmark. The bare bones of a promising tourist attraction, in limbo after work was halted in the mid-1970s.

I visited this location during my Lebanon Tour 2023. Although this may not be the most exciting place I have explored, I did find the shapes enjoyable to photograph. Also, added points for being the first abandoned aquarium I have explored.

History of the Unfinished Aquarium

In the 1960s, Lebanon began ambitious plans to create the country’s largest aquarium. In addition to the aquarium, the plan included an ocean-view restaurant. Other planned facilities included large tanks for fish farming/research, conference suites, and a planetarium. This would not be just a simple tourist attraction but would become part of a nearby scientific research and education complex.

The building project was interrupted in 1975 when the civil war in Lebanon broke out.  After 15 years of conflict, the project never picked up again. Other factors, such as financial constraints or concerns about the site’s structural stability after years of abandonment, may also have played a role.

Decaying concrete with a beautiful Mediterranean view

Today, the Unfinished Aquarium is in a precarious state. The concrete is deteriorating, with enormous chunks of it falling away from the building and scattering the floor inside.

Salty sea water and steel-reinforced concrete do not make for cosy friends. Especially on bare concrete, as found on an unfinished building such as this one. As salty water permeates and reaches the steel, the steel corrodes and rust forms. The rust develops, occupying more space than the steel, and as it does, it pushes out against the surrounding concrete. This expansion causes stress to build up, and the concrete fails/cracks/delaminates (a process called “spalling”).