Archaeological Parks Archives - shlomo Aronson Architects

Zion Gate

Zion Gate on the Southwest side of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, was severely damaged during Israel's War of Independence in 1948. As a testimony to the modern history of that historic place, It was decided to leave the walls, battered by bullets, as they were. The focal point of the renovation thus became the paving before the gate. No original stone paving was discovered on the site, but an analysis of the survey drawing led to the conclusion that several site lines converged in a single point. This point may have been the spot from which the Turkish engineer, some five centuries ago, laid out the plan for the gate. The star-shaped pattern which results from tracing out these site lines became the motif for the paving pattern in front of the gate, homage to an ancient colleague, and at the same time, a reminder of a symbol that anchors the work in our time....

October 1, 2017

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Dung Gate Jerusalem

The Dung Gate, one of nine gates in the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, was built by the Ottoman Turks in the 16th century. It was originally a narrow, 1.5 meter opening adorned by a stone arch. Built to accommodate pedestrians and pack animals, in 1952 it was widened by the Jordanians to accommodate vehicular traffic. In the 1980s the Jerusalem Foundation decided to enlarge the gate once more to support the increased traffic of pilgrims visiting the holy site. Working with architect Arthur Kutcher, our office created a design for a new-old gate which incorporated the original stone arch and stone decoration set above a new reinforced concrete, stone clad arch, thus creating a 4.5 meter high opening. Rather than emphasizing the distinction between old and new, which is often the strategy when retrofitting historical places for contemporary uses, the new design for Dung Gate blends old and new to preserve the style and spirit characteristic of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem....

October 1, 2017

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Caesaria National Park

Built by Herod the Great in about 30 B.C. Caesarea was one of the main Roman towns in the eastern Mediterranean. Captured by the Crusaders in 1101, it fell into ruin after the demise of the Crusaders. Archaeologists, beginning in the 1960s, uncovered a Roman theater and the old city walls from the Crusader period, but the 250 acre site has even now only been partly explored. One of the surprises which has lately been recovered from the dunes is a great hippodrome, which had been described by Josephus Flavius in 80 A.D. Since the sea had destroyed all trace of the western wall of the hippodrome, it was decided to build a sea wall topped by a promenade which would mark the line of the lost side. This enables one to "see" the size and grace of the ancient structure, and also provides a pleasant walk among the ruins, and by the edge of the Mediterranean. The planning also included walkways, the Old City, an archaeological garden and parking areas....

October 1, 2017

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Beit Shalom Park Jerusalem

During the construction of a road in 1974 outside the walls on the south side of the Old City of Jerusalem, vestiges of the three-thousand year history of Jerusalem were found under meters of debris. On this site alone remains were found of the First and Second Temple periods of Jewish history, the subsequent Roman era, a Byzantine church, an early Muslim palace, Crusader fortifications, and the wall itself, constructed in 1541 by Sulayman the Magnificent. In order to preserve and exhibit these remarkable remains, our design included a road set back from the wall and raised above the level of the archaeology, creating Beit Shalom Park along a half-kilometer stretch of land flanking the wall. The wall, itself, contains notable elements from many periods, and all new stonework was purposely distinguished to set it apart from these remnants. A footpath leads visitors through the park, past marked antiquities. An area, reserved for future excavation, is planted with olive trees and native grasses. In important junctions and gathering places, native sycamore and ash provide shade....

October 1, 2017

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Beit Guvrin National Park

The Beit Guvrin National Park is comprised of the remains of the Hellenistic city of Maresha, deserted in the 1st century B.C., and the nearby Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, and Arab city of Beit Guvrin. The outstanding attraction of this site is its thousands of man-made caves which were cut as quarries for the buildings which were built above them. These caves were subsequently used as hideouts in times of trouble; as storerooms; as workspaces where wine and olive presses were built; as dovecotes and burial grounds. Our office prepared a master plan for the development of this region as a national park, including detailed design of trails, parking lots, restaurants, visitor's center, and of all the infrastructure necessary to accommodate visitors to the area, which comprises some 550 hectares. The project presents restored examples from every significant period of Beit Guvrin's 2,000 year history....

October 1, 2017

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