Campuses Museums and Public Buildings Archives

Khan Sha’ar Hagai National Heritage Site

The historic importance of the site stems from its location along the ancient road between Jaffa and Jerusalem. Over thousands of years, the story of the ascent to Jerusalem has been that of a long journey. In the second half of the 19th century, the Ottoman government built the Bab el-Wad inn, today known as the Sha'ar Hagai Khan, to provide an overnight rest station for travelers and their horses and donkeys before starting the arduous climb up to Jerusalem. As the main supply route to the city, the road became a heavily contested battleground during the blockade of Jerusalem in Israel's War of Independence in 1948. Today the drive up to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv takes less than an hour. The project includes the restoration of all historical buildings which host the museum and a conference center within the historic Khan building. A new entrance building and shop was added alongside restrooms and offices. The site development included the entire path system connecting the various activities at the site and making them accessible. After much deliberation about the museum's program, it was decided to concentrate on the stories of the armed forces who fought in 1948 for the opening of the route to besieged Jerusalem. Our firm prepared the development and rehabilitation plans for the historic buildings, the new buildings and the overall landscape scheme. The content team (Breeze Creative) developed the story that is presented to visitors in the museum building. Although the site opened at the peak of the Corona period, it quickly became one of the Nature and Parks Authority's most visited sites....

September 26, 2024

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Levontin Courtyard

This landscape intervention turned a formerly neglected and under-used courtyard into a vibrant outdoor space for informal meetings, lectures and for working in the open. The design brief asked to revive a secluded garden for the enjoyment of faculty and students, commemorating Prof. Avigdor Levontin, a former dean of the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The original courtyard, measuring about 350 square meters, was little used and included a very steep gardened slope, stone terraces, and a terrace paved with natural stone. The new design consists of a tiered outdoor classroom, diverse options for sitting, gardened areas, and a pergola to provide shade at all hours of the day. Consideration was given to the preservation of views towards the historic buildings surrounding the courtyard, to the integration of an existing retaining wall into the amphitheater, and the reuse of the natural paving stones of the original central plaza....

September 8, 2020

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Dvorsky Greenhouse

The renovation and expansion of the original greenhouse restored it as a main attraction of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. Today, it showcases different climatic zones with growth of tall trees and a wide variety of vegetation. The Dvorsky greenhouse, designed by the office and built in the early 1980s, was about X square meters in size and quite low in its overall height, which significantly limited the overall scope of vegetation that could be displayed. Out of respect for the original building and donor, the redesign preserves the front showcase section of the original greenhouse, as well as the central dome, which was the hallmark of the greenhouse. The rear of the building was dismantled, and in its place an area totaling about 1,000 square meters was built up to a maximum height of 14 meters. Most of the greenhouse area is designated for tropical vegetation and about a quarter for desert vegetation. Next to the foyer, space was allocated for a classroom for lectures and an area was designated for future development of public facilities. The interior and vegetation design were done by the botanical garden staff in dialogue with the design team....

September 7, 2020

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Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and Museum

The Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum is visited in great numbers by people from all over the world as well as from Israel. The Museum presents the tragic history of the Jewish Holocaust of the 20th Century. Because of the subject of the Museum it was felt that the design should not draw any attention to itself, and the landscaping of the open spaces was designed as a background to the experience of the exhibitions. The various open spaces have been designed to create places for contemplation and respite. The new landscaping blends into the natural surroundings of the site through the use of local forest vegetation and simple evergreens. Views of the Judean Hills were created in many points....

October 1, 2017

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Student Union Plaza Technion

At the new entrance to the student union building the ramp for handicapped users which is often placed outside the central functions of a space, is used here as the main generator of the design. The ramp is the ‘spine’ of a casual communal meeting space which can also be an outdoor theater for dance performances or for informal student meetings. Wood was used to unify all design elements, turning the entire plaza into one sculptural element. The distinctive warmth of the material also provides the appropriate surface for the dancers and for the sitting elements....

October 1, 2017

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National Campus for Archaeology

The National Campus for Archeology was built to house the most valued collection of archeological treasures as well as the main offices of the Antiquities Authority, and to create a living exhibition of national archeological discovery for the general public from around the country and abroad. The campus, its layout and building designed by Moshe Safdie Architects, includes 1600 sqm of green roof garden, an entrance plaza, and various courtyards and sunken gardens. The roof is accessible to visitors of the campus as well as serving as a public space for the surrounding museum district. It offers 360 degree views of the surrounding hills and cultural landmarks, as well as down into the internal courtyard of the campus where large mosaics will undergo restoration. Construction of the roof is not fully complete, and it will, in the future, house archeological fragments for visitors to explore. The roof is designed to provide a quiet and naturalistic retreat for visitors while at the same time entering a dialogue with the local scenery. It makes use of the 'borrowed landscape' of the far-off hills and seems to meld seamlessly into them. The plantings are a horticultural interpretation of the local natural and cultural Mediterranean landscape. The trees used are traditional species of the agricultural landscape: cypress, olive, figs, and pomegranates....

October 1, 2017

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Main Plaza Technion

A parking lot previously occupied the most central open space of the Technion, a campus of fifteen thousand students. The parking was moved, and in its place a stone-paved central plaza was established bordering a large sloping lawn. The lawn accommodates a large number of students for celebrations such as concerts and commencement. On the upper part of the lawn is a seventy-five meter-long water feature, built from massive stone with water recycled from the air conditioning system of the campus. For special events, the fountain can be turned off and the linear waterfalls provide additional sitting places. This area has becomes a favorite place for student's relaxation activities....

October 1, 2017

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Kreitman Square

This award winning plaza is the heart of all pedestrian circulation in Ben Gurion University, as well as functioning as a welcome to the University, a meeting point, and a place of rest. The concept for the garden is the juxtaposition of reason and nature. The core of the garden is the representation of a desert wadi (valley). A classical style arcade surrounds and embraces this wild core and provides the shaded walkways and seating which make this a much used and comfortable university focus....

October 1, 2017

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American Consulate in Jerusalem

The landscaping of the American Consulate in Jerusalem included the design of a series of open spaces inside and outside the compound: entrance plazas, a courtyard for visitors to the consular section, parking areas, a green roof and the garden areas around the main building. The design intent was to develop a common language for all of these open spaces that reflects at the same time the character of surroundings. The formal layout of all outdoor spaces is offset by delicate variations in the treatment of the details: local stone paving and cladding is used to create different patterns by varied combinations of stone sizes and finishes. Different types of trees and plantings create subtle differences in the feel of the various open spaces. For the first stage of the project the main building was implemented only partially....

October 1, 2017

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