The Hotel du Lac Hotel project, designed by Raffaele Contigiani in the center of Tunis, has sparked criticism following its demolition to make way for new development, approved by authorities in August 2024. Completed in 1973 during Tunisia’s post-independence tourism initiative under President Habib Bourguiba, the concrete-and-steel structure stood out for its inverted pyramid form, which some linked to the visual language of Star Wars. The 416-room, 10-story Brutalist building was closed in 2000 due to mismanagement. After escaping demolition twice between 2010 and 2020, it received temporary protection in 2022 through a civil campaign. That protection expired in April 2023, allowing LAFICO, the Libyan owner, to proceed with a $150 million project that includes a 20-story hotel and shopping center. Demolition began on August 15 under a judicial order citing structural instability. Officials say the replacement will preserve a silhouette similar to the original. The redevelopment is expected to create 435 direct jobs. Architects, historians, and NGOs have criticized the lack of transparency and failure to consider restoration proposals. Hotel du Lac has become central in the broader discussion around the erasure of modernist architecture in postcolonial urban settings.
The demolition of Hotel du Lac introduces a conflict between Tunisia’s contemporary urban growth strategy and the architectural values of its post-independence period. Although the building had stood vacant since 2000, its sculptural mass remained a fixture in the capital’s skyline. Its distinctive form provided a spatial and visual anchor within the city’s 20th-century urban layer, and its absence is now altering the relationship between public memory and urban identity in central Tunis.
Designed by Italian architect Raffaele Contigiani and completed in 1973, Hotel du Lac was developed as part of a national initiative to position Tunisia as a modern destination for international tourism. Its inverted pyramid form, composed of raw concrete and steel, became an emblem of North African Brutalism. The 416-room structure stood ten stories tall and hosted high-profile guests during its active years, including American musician James Brown.
The hotel’s closure in 2000 followed years of administrative mismanagement and structural neglect. It survived two demolition proposals between 2010 and 2020 after mobilization by architects, preservationists, and civil society groups. In 2022, public pressure led the Ministry of Culture to grant the building temporary protective status. That measure expired in April 2023. Though expert restoration studies and reuse proposals were submitted, they were not adopted.
Demolition officially began on August 15 under a judicial order following structural assessments that deemed the building unsafe. According to Moez Ben Othman, president of the Bab Bhar Local Council, the process is expected to continue for eight to nine months. The site is owned by the Libyan Arab Foreign Investment Company (LAFICO), which acquired it in 2010. The new development, valued at $150 million (141€, £121), includes a 20-story hotel and a commercial center. Project leaders have stated that the new design will preserve a silhouette close to the original while incorporating updated construction systems. Approximately 435 direct jobs are expected to be generated in the early phase of development.
Despite assurances, preservationists and architectural historians have expressed concern over the lack of design transparency. No public documents or architectural renderings have been released. Tunisian historian Adnen El Ghali referred to the building as one of the world’s “top 10 Brutalist jewels,” reinforcing international calls for its protection. A petition to halt the demolition quickly gathered more than 6,000 signatures, while media outlets, including Le Figaro, described the loss as significant for global architectural heritage.
Criticism has focused on the absence of public consultation, limited access to technical documentation, and the rapid reversal of previously granted protections. Observers argue that the case represents a broader pattern of neglect toward modernist structures in postcolonial contexts. While demolition proceeds, Hotel du Lac’s disappearance has become emblematic of the tension between economic redevelopment and the preservation of architectural memory in Tunisia.
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