Ahmad Beydoun
Biography

is an architect and researcher whose work explores how environments are transformed into tools of power. Pursuing his PhD at the Technical University of Delft, titled “Weaponized Environments,” his research uncovers the strategic manipulation of natural landscapes in modern warfare. Ahmad is developing a system that detects and makes visible these hidden dynamics, offering an alternative understanding of militarized spaces.


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Borders and Territories
Khiam Detention Center 
Technical University of Delft - 06/2019 until 06/2020



Preserving the Legacy of a Dark Chapter


 The Khiam Detention Center became infamous as a brutal detention facility operated by the South Lebanese Army under Israeli command from 1985 until 2000. Over the course of its operation, approximately 3,500 inmates—comprising Lebanese resistance fighters, civilians, and Palestinians—were held within its walls, often subjected to severe torture and inhumane conditions. Inmates endured electric shocks, beatings, prolonged solitary confinement, and various other forms of psychological and physical abuse, all without the semblance of due process.

In 2000, following Israel’s withdrawal from South Lebanon, the center was liberated and briefly transformed into a museum, serving as a somber reminder of the atrocities committed there. However, in 2006, during the Israeli-Hezbollah War, the detention center was almost entirely destroyed in what many believe was an attempt to obliterate physical evidence of the war crimes committed within its walls.

Today, there are controversial plans to renovate the site. However, these plans are criticized for their revisionist approach, which seeks to reshape the narrative to align with specific political agendas, potentially overshadowing the broader history of the site. This project seeks to digitally preserve the original structure of the Khiam Detention Center through a detailed 3D reconstruction. By doing so, we aim to safeguard the memory of this site.

One of the earliest known images of Khiam Detention Center (Photographer and date unknown)



Drawing the prison

 This project resurrects the memory of the Khiam Detention Center, a site infamous for its use as a detention and torture camp during the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon. Although Israel attempted to erase this history by bombing the site in 2006, this virtual recreation preserves its legacy and ensures that the voices of those who suffered are heard.


Earliest hand-drawn sketch of the prison (unknown author/ date)
Satellite Image on 12/2004 
Satellite Image with 3D model on 08/2019



Virtual Reconstruction

 Based on interviews with 13 former inmates, the virtual model reconstructs the prison through their vivid memories. Their recollections helped shape everything from the layout to the atmosphere of the Khiyam Detention Center, allowing the model to reflect the prisoners’ experiences as accurately as possible.




The Warden


 Online visitors can explore a 3D model of the prison as it stood before its destruction, guided by an avatar of the prison’s notorious warden, Amer Fakhoury. Known for evading justice, he fled to Israel and then to the United States. In 2019, he was briefly arrested in Lebanon, only to escape again via the U.S. embassy after a deal was brokered. While justice was never served to him in real life, this project brings justice to the digital realm by allowing the public to witness and remember the horrors of the Khiam Detention Center.



The skin of Amer Fakhoury’s avatar


The Simulation

The Khiam Detention Center became infamous as a brutal detention facility operated by the South Lebanese Army (SLA) under Israeli command from 1985 until 2000. Over the course of its operation, approximately 3,500 inmates—comprising Lebanese resistance fighters, civilians, and Palestinians—were held within its walls, often subjected to severe torture and inhumane conditions. Inmates endured electric shocks, beatings, prolonged solitary confinement, and various other forms of psychological and physical abuse.



Take a walk in the body of Amer El Fakhoury. This experience allows you to explore the detention center from his perspective. 

Enter Simulation

Open-Source Model



 In preserving the memory of the Khiyam Detention Center, this project offers more than a historical archive—it serves as a testament to the resilience of those who endured its horrors. By virtually recreating the prison and its environment, the project keeps alive the stories that some have sought to erase. It invites visitors not only to explore a piece of history but also to reflect on the lasting impact of injustice. 

The 3D model is freely available for download and can be used or further developed with proper credit, ensuring that the legacy of this space continues to evolve and resonate in new ways.







Download

3D File (.3dm)3D Game Simulation

Publication

https://journals.open.tudelft.nl/footprint/article/view/4468


Media Coverage

https://al-akhbar.com/Literature_Arts/292133

https://al-akhbar.com/Last_Page/291873

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