The role and responsibility religious buildings play in dense city centers around the world is always evolving. In New York City, this past century, vast cathedrals like St. John the Divine have taken on new uses; that building once solely hosted Sunday mass but now, its also used for concerts, lectures, and even tight rope walks by Philippe Petit, among other immersive art performances. A similar story of transformation took place recently in the heart of Beirut, Lebanon. Saint Maroun Church in Gemmayzeh has been a staple of the Lebanese Maronite community since it was built in 1875. This past year, the Roman style church was refurbished by interior designer Marine Bustros and Fadlo Dagher of DHP Architecture.Saint Maroun Church was badly damaged by the 2020 port explosion which rocked Beirut. The building suffered structural damage, deficiencies that were later rectified by Dagher. After the port explosion, and throughout military attacks by Israel on Beirut this year, the church has provided food and shelter for those in need, among other communal functions that replenish the soul.The buildings exterior and structure more broadly was rectified by Dagher. ( Marwan Harmouche)Father Richard Abi Saleh, who leads Saint Maroun, considered how the church could take on new uses, beyond that of worship, after 2020. Now, Saint Maroun Church hosts musical performances, community meetings, and even art exhibitions. To accommodate more people, and functions, Dagher and Bustros ideated a new addition to the church, which gives Father Richard more capacity. That addition, on its exterior, touts a mural by George Merheb, a Lebanese mixed-media artist. The old and new buildings were meshed together by Bustros; both volumes feature the same custom furniture, which unifies the spaces.Before the restoration, the building had burgundy red doors and furniture. (Courtesy Marine Bustros)It was important to keep and highlight the nice elements that were already there, Bustros told AN. The aim of this project was to rethink the design of the church, but in a modern way. We wanted to break away from the traditional elements, like the burgundy reds in the floors and chairs, Bustros added. We also wanted to bring in more light and offer a soothing experience. By removing the carpets, we can now see the very nice marble floor, and by highlighting the beams, doors, and benches in blue, and to see these colors echoed in the arches, its nice.Bustros noted that Father Richard has done concerts, at Saint Maroun since the refurbishment, which has offered calm and respite. Hes been helping the community a lot, Bustros said. During the war, he was helping and hosting families in need, and distributing food.The wooden waves in the benches were meant to emulate 19th-century arches from the original 1875 building. ( Marwan Harmouche)Saint Marouns refurbishment came around the same time a number of immensely important heritage sites were under threat in Lebanon by Israeli bombardment, as reported by AN.On a daily basis we are afraid but we are not afraid for the future, because we are building the future, Father Richard recently told a reporter. Even in times of war, we are artisans of construction and civilization, and we believe that we must take action, not only [by] distributing food or clothes when needed, but also with acts of beauty, for example, the work of arts or music concerts.People need more in life than the bare necessities just to survive, they also need to breathe, to dream and to believe that things are still possible, Father Richard continued. I believe that the real resistance in the life of a community is cultural resistance, to say that we can build the future in everyday acts because humanity is still capable of beautiful things.