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Art

Ledra Palace Hotel

Robert Shipley
RCRM-L2024.007.0001
Loan courtesy of the artist
2022-2024; digital ink and watercolour

Shipley captured Ledra Palace Hotel from various angles, and at different points in time. It was built in 1947, dominating the surroundings as an elegant five-star hotel. Situated on the Green Line, it became a suitable location to accommodate Canadian officers and non-commissioned officers deployed under UNFICYP. As a direct result of the 1974 confrontations in Nicosia, the building and surroundings did not go unchanged, with Armoured Personnel Carriers parked outside, and direct hits to the built structure. The military presence was obvious in 1978, but forty-four years later, only ambulances can be seen in the parking lot.