Demolition work is poised to commence on an iconic brutalist hotel that is believed to have inspired a striking piece of the Star Wars set. ‌

Reports of the impending destruction of the Hotel du Lac, in Tunis, Tunisia, have sparked outrage and resistance from locals, architects, holidaymakers , and conservation specialists across the North African nation. ‌

The 1973 creation by Italian architect Raffaele Contigiani is regarded as a brutalist masterpiece - an architectural movement that emerged in the mid-20th century, characterised by raw industrial materials, imposing scale and emphasis on practicality. ‌

Tunisia's first president, Habib Bourguiba, ordered the Hotel du Lac to celebrate a flourishing tourism industry following the nation's independence from France. Consequen

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