Archive

MUSA Competition

Our proposal aims to reinstate MUSA as one of Israel's leading museums while turning it into a major urban destination for Tel Aviv's residents. The plan weaves new and existing museum exhibitions into one comprehensive experience while opening all outdoor areas to the public. The competition brief asked to develop a new vision for the entire site as well as adding a new central exhibition building to the existing museum complex. Expanding the museum's content while strengthening connectivity and a sense of orientation throughout this large campus was central to the design: we decided that the new exhibition space will become the pivot connecting all parts of the Museum grounds. The placement of the new building takes advantage of a deep topographical fold between the existing museum pavilions and the archaeological area and the park grounds beyond. The main level connects on-grade to the entrance while the roof continues the upper plaza between the existing pavilions. To the west, the roof garden becomes a shaded observation deck toward Tel Aviv's skyline and a bridge joining the archaeological site and the museum park grounds directly to the heart of the museum. With the removal of the perimeter fence and the reorganization of access throughout the open space areas, the new plan envisions an urban park designed around the existing agricultural heritage display areas, the archaeological site and urban nature areas. The entire museum campus will be universally accessible....

September 8, 2020

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Crater Park, Givataim

The redesign of a former football stadium into a neighborhood park with new housing and commerce resurrected the site as the new active center of the entire neighborhood. The site of Crater Park and two new residential towers is defined by very steep slopes and a long-lasting public debate about what should happen to the historic 'crater' of Givataim. The project replaces a football stadium and amphitheater excavated in the 1920s, which were a neighborhood symbol and a source of pride but suffered from underuse and neglect. A new zoning plan from 2003 outlined the new division of the site: residential towers in the upper third of the site allowing for free public passage to the lower two thirds designated for park use. A small commercial center and a Kindergarten form the lower edge of the park. The concept for the park was to create a green and active neighborhood park with multiple points of interest for residents of all ages, all this while providing universal access to all areas. Steep slopes (14% - 11%) with an overall height difference of 17 m made it difficult to provide full accessibility between all parts of the park: creating a fully accessible system with hundreds of meters of ramps would have taken up most of the site. The solution was to divide the park into three main levels with multiple access points from the surrounding streets and stairs connecting between them. The upper level consists of gardened areas around the residential towers with a plaza leading to a dramatic view terrace, and the park beyond. The middle level forms the heart of the park and includes a variety of play structures and fitness equipment, observation and rest areas and an ecological pond. Grassy slopes between different activity areas invite people to find quiet places in the shade of trees and reduce the need for walls and fences .The lowest level connects to the outdoor sitting spaces of the commercial center and includes a small amphitheater around an additional playground area and an enclosed dog park. All parts of the redevelopment come together to form the new center and meeting place for the residents of the entire neighborhood....

September 8, 2020

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Light Sculpture Plaza

The city asked to create a strong focal point at the end of the central spine of the new city center development. The new plaza became an instant meeting place for old and young, who discover the many different angles of the colorful sculpture while enjoying the play of light and shadows throughout the day and at night. The light sculpture provides a landmark and destination point for visitors, but also a transition between the quiet and green of the existing linear park and the intensity and activity of the new city center. In the daytime, the sculpture defines grassy and paved outdoor rooms for visitors to meet and sit in and creates an experience of shifting colors for those passing around and through. At night, the sculpture is lit up dramatically, projecting patterns of light and shadow. Young people from the surrounding neighborhoods and visitors to the area enjoy gathering in the striking world created within the sculpture. The sculpture is composed of identical steel elements, placed at varied angles and spacings to form three arched waves. The sides of the elements in each wave are painted with three of four total colors, thus creating the shifting color impressions for visitors as they move around the space. ...

September 8, 2020

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Fountain Plaza

This new plaza at the main entrance to Modiin welcomes residents and newcomers alike to the city: the dramatic water gates of the fountain, placed on the background of a large vertical green wall, create a strong visual focal point but also provide the city's children with an exhilarating opportunity to cool themselves off in the hot summer months. The office was asked to design a signature water fountain at the entrance to the city, a real challenge considering the small size of the site and its location at two busy intersecting roads. Our goal was to create a lively urban plaza with a water feature of strong visual presence while making it pleasurable and usable for the residents. The central fountain square features seven water curtains which dare everybody to pass through them. An adjacent sitting area shaded by Plane trees offers a quieter corner to read a book, enjoy the sparkling lights of the waterfalls or to marvel at the many different plants of the green wall....

September 8, 2020

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EcoSport Park, Ashkelon

EcoSport Park sets out to create a contemporary and ecologically sound city park which preserves the natural resources and ecosystems of the site while linking it to the city's vision of creating an active urban park with a center for outdoor athletic and water sports activities. The future park is part of an ecological corridor stretching east west, which comprises sand dunes to the south and an extensive flood basin and seasonal winter pond to the north. The winter pond is an essential part of the natural drainage system of the southern part of the city, which suffers from severe flooding problems. The project applies landscape and engineering solutions to channel the runoff water into both bodies of water. The park's plan is based on the relationship between two bodies of water - the natural winter pond and a new recreational lake. The winter pond area with the addition of bird watching stations and a center for environmental education form the heart of the natural park area. All intensive park uses are concentrated around the recreational lake, including an athletic stadium, a guesthouse for groups of athletes, a running track and sports attractions, cafes, an amphitheater, playgrounds, lawns, and picnic areas. A system of walking and bicycling paths weaves both areas together while allowing for differentiated access to the more quiet and active park areas....

September 8, 2020

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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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The New City Center of Modiin

The central spine of Modiin's new mixed-use city center provides an exciting and identifiable destination for its residents, with points of interest to be enjoyed by all ages and at all times of the day. The overall concept for Modiin's new city center (based on Moshe Safdie Architects' statutory plan) envisions the creation of a unique and vibrant mixed-use central business district along a central green spine, inviting people to discover urban living and shopping, and to enjoy the open spaces of the new civic heart of the city. The landscape design puts pedestrians and bicyclists first, providing a generous and secure environment to shop, stroll, play, or rest. Four rows of Plane and Jacaranda trees form the green structure of the boulevard. The design of the linear promenade in the center includes water features, shade structures, sitting areas, and five restaurants/coffee shops. The promenade is framed by lush plantings, which act as rain gardens in the winter months while providing optimal growing conditions for the trees. Along the sidewalks, continuous planting strips for trees and groundcovers form a green buffer between pedestrians and bicyclists while collecting run-off in the rainy season....

September 7, 2020

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Lot 25: a multi-use building complex in Jerusalem’s government district

Located between Begin Boulevard and the government offices of Generi 1 and 2, this new building complex of approximately 170,000 sqm will be built as part of the Light Rail Jnet network in Jerusalem. The building program of the complex includes a train depot with stabling facilities and workshops, several floors of underground parking, storage, and archives. Separate office buildings will house various government agencies, all set into a landscape designed to integrate indoor and outdoor spaces and provide a variety of public and private gathering areas. The first construction phase includes the 10,000 sqm offices of JTMT (Jerusalem Transportation Masterplan Team), including a unified control and operation center for the entire city. In a future stage, an additional 73,000 sqm of government offices will be constructed, in accordance with the masterplan, alongside the JTMT building. (THIS LEAVES YOU A BIT CONFUSED BECAUSE YOU WONDER WHY THERE IS ONLY 83 THOUSAND OUT OF THE 170 M2 ACCOUNTED FOR) The architectural scheme was guided by the following principles: On the human scale, to create a healthy working environment for each one of the 3500 workers. On the campus scale, to create a sense of place and identity within the large boundaries of the compound. On the open space scale, to provide a great variety of landscaped open spaces for all seasons and for different times of the day. On the city scale, to create an active urban edge with commerce and a major city plaza along Lorch Street To ascertain the best coordinated design process, the project is executed in BIM, as part of an international team with Obermeyer Planen + Beraten, Amy Metom, and multiple other consultants....

May 24, 2018

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Arazim Valley – Utilities Park

The Arazim Valley, located north of Highway 1 at the western entrance to Jerusalem, is part of the city's metropolitan park system, Jerusalem Park. The valley is a breeding and nesting habitat for a variety of plant and animal species. At the same time, because the Arazim Valley is a large open area west of the city, it is also a desirable corridor for the passage of urban and national infrastructure. Throughout the valley, an attempt was made to hide and camouflage the infrastructure passing through. The theme of "Utilities Park" is, instead, to present the subject of infrastructure and explain it to visitors. The park is centrally located in the valley on the southern bank of the Sorek River. The works included rehabilitation of the riverbed and of the terraces along its banks, extensive plantings of trees, shrubs, and geophytes typical of the area, and construction of public areas including: a promenade, play facilities for children and toddlers, lawn, and shaded picnic areas. Two bridges, built above the streambed, connect the park to the paved bicycle path on the northern bank of Nahal Sorek and onwards through the entire valley. One bridge is an “extreme rope bridge”, which is an integral part of the playground facilities, while the other is an accessible wood and steel bridge allowing the passage of cyclists, strollers and wheelchairs....

May 22, 2018

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Conveyor Belt

In the 1980's, the Dead Sea Works Company, which mines potash from the Dead Sea, began an expansion which would produce a great increase of material needing transportation to the railhead for shipment. This railhead lies eighteen kilometers away (as the bird flies), and eight hundred meters higher in elevation. The company chose to build a conveyor belt; however, since the conveyor belt had to pass through a nature reserve, the Natural Reserve Authority objected. We were asked to arbitrate and to present a new plan acceptable to all parties. Our team rerouted the belt to require the least amount of damaging earthwork. All excavated material had to be taken out of the site, as dumping was not allowed on the flanks of the hills. In order to keep free movement for desert wildlife and hikers, we specified that the belt be supported by a succession of concrete pylons and six more steel bridges than originally proposed. Some of the bridges were lengthened significantly in order not to change the existing topography. Sixteen bridges were constructed and more than a million tons of earth moved over difficult terrain. Yet the lasting damage to the landscape is negligible....

October 17, 2017

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Tama 35 National Master Plan

NOP 35 makes the necessary planning provisions to provide for the future development of the state by concentrating future building activities in existing built-up areas. The plan answers to the large demand for additional building space while considering the dwindling land supply. Thus the plan ensures the preservation of the vast majority of open spaces (natural and agricultural) for future generations. The landscape input included the classification of all landscape types in the country; the preparation of design guidelines working toward the protection of existing open spaces and rural areas; the development of green infrastructure corridors with a major north-south green spine that serves as the main structure to organize leading areas of urban and rural development; promotion of environmental sustainability; and the identification and preservation of landscapes of particular natural or cultural value....

October 2, 2017

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National Outline Plan for Afforestation

The Jewish National Fund as the managing agency of all forests in Israel requested as statutory plan for the entire country that will define and categorize the borders and types of all existing forests and suggest the development of these and new forests for the years to come. This extensive work started in the 70s but was approved as a statutory document only in 1995. The plan specifies different kinds of forests and assigns to them roles in the overall strategy for afforestation, taking into account natural conditions of climate, type of soil, natural vegetation, and their proximity to human settlements. Care was taken to ensure the continuation and connection between existing and new forests in order to maintain and enhance ecological corridors. The plan was prepared in collaboration with team leader Moti Kaplan and Ilan Beeri....

October 2, 2017

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Emek Haarazim Metropolitan Park

This 3000 dunam park is one of several parks that will form the string of metropolitan parks to surround Jerusalem. The master plan reflects our intention to preserve most of the area in its present state including natural assets and cultural sites. There exists here a great biodiversity of fauna and flora with planted and natural forests, open meadows, traditional agricultural terraces and fields, modern agriculture in form of fruit tree groves, archaeological sites and geological formations, a seasonal river bed that transverses the entire length of the park, and parts of an existing national park. The plan identifies several locations s along the central spine of the park, allowing for recreational activities to take place in defined areas. The park is also one of the main infrastructure corridors to Jerusalem. The successful integration of these into the park was a major concern in the design of the park and road system. Presently the rehabilitation of the river bed with picnic and play areas is under construction, and our office is planning the landscape rehabilitation of several infrastructures including parts of the new train line between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem....

October 2, 2017

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Signs on the way to the Dead Sea

At 400 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth. Two spectacular roads descend to the Dead Sea from Jerusalem and Arad, from approximately 650 meters above sea level to 400 meters under sea level. The Ministry of Tourism wanted to make this dramatic descent apparent to visitors as part of a larger park development called The Lowest Park on Earth. A series of "contour lines" set into the bare desert hills by the highway, similar to contour lines drawn on a topographical map, mark the changes of elevation. Long, level walls of local stone with a single horizontal strip of blue ceramic tiles mark the elevation, which is written in large aluminum numbers set slightly away from the wall. The numbers are very clear, even seen from the highway in a fast-moving car; the blue tile line flashes like a signal in the monochrome desert landscape....

October 2, 2017

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Erosion Control through ‘Limanim’ (Bays) and Ravines

Ravines: In the 1950s, the Jewish National Fund, with the help of the World Bank, devised a system to manage the effect of torrential downpours in the desert by creating planted areas in ravines. These ravines, if left in their natural denuded state, are subject to drastic erosion. By the use of minimal grading with heavy machinery to change the depth, the slopes and the edges of the ravines, much of the flood water can be retained to make a micro climate in which trees can flourish. Thus, with a minimum of input, a profound change can be made in the landscape. Shade can be provided in a harsh climate; and the visual delineation of landforms is, in itself, an amenity in a denuded land. Limanim (Bays) and Ravines A Liman (bay) is a sunken basin planted with a small grove of trees, in size varying between about a quarter of one hectare to one hectare. Limanin are typically located near roads. Thus they can be used as shaded rest areas for motorists. As in “ravines”, floodwater is retained to create a micro climate for trees. These floods occur twice or three time a year during the rainy season. The bay is filled to the rim and the contained water slowly seeps into the ground. In the case of ravines (deep drainage runnels) the section of the channel is flattened and dammed in order to slow down water runoff and increase water retention. Our part in this project was to locate the sites for implementing the different types of solutions, to design and appropriately execute those in a variety of different locations in the desert....

October 2, 2017

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Synagogue, Modiin

October 2, 2017

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Waterfront Promenade and Central Square Competition

The brief for this competition called for the renovation of an existing waterfront walkway and the main access square to the Red Sea of Eilat. Eilat's spectacular desert setting with its red granite mountains awes every visitor but this holiday destination also has a very lively night life. With daily temperatures of 15-45 °C throughout the year shade is absolutely vital for people who find themselves outside during the day. Our design proposed a wide walkway with sitting steps providing both access to beach and ample meeting space for day and night time activities. A continuous shade structure makes the day use possible and encourages coffee shops and restaurants to open. The design of the main square with tall palm trees and a water mist fountain strengthens the visual connection between the town and Sea while its beach steps provide the night time setting for large performances....

October 2, 2017

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SDE-DOV

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Urban Renewal project in the former airport of Sde Dov The 2012 partnership between Ari Cohen (as lead urban designer), Shlomo Aronson Architects and Dr. Chaim Fialkoff, won 1st prize in the competition to develop a programmatic strategy for the redesign of the Sde Dov Airport site following its planned evacuation in 2017. The 560 acre site is located between the sea and Ramat Aviv; it is the biggest continuous remaining land parcel in Tel Aviv, making it a particularly valuable, unique and rare piece of land, whose realization will be decades in the making. Our proposal envisions the rise of a dense new urban district that will be able to adapt to present and future trends and findings, catering not only to the needs of its projected inhabitants but to provide a wide palette of public uses and open spaces for the broader population. The central idea of our plan calls for a constant exploration and celebration of the area through the mix of multiple temporary uses and events alongside the construction of permanent projects. Following the submission of the strategy, the team was requested to advance the plan through to Master plan stage. The municipality decided to involve the internationally renowned office of usefulprojects to help create an exemplary test case for sustainable design of a new city quarter.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

October 2, 2017

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Northern Entrance to Beer Sheva – competition – First Prize

The competition program called for the design of the open spaces along the northern entrance road to Beer Sheva, located in the Negev desert. Future plans for new neighborhoods and employment areas to the north raised the need to create a programmatic and aesthetic vision for the extensive open spaces that are left on both sides of the road. Our design envisioned a linear urban park that would function as the representative entrance to Beer Sheva while creating at the same time an active addition to the open space system of the town. The park would include pedestrian and bicycle lanes for family outings, sports and extreme bicycling, taking advantage of the natural topography of gentle hills and desert drainage ravines. We suggested treating the pathways along the road and in the vicinity of the town, in a more formal way, with a mixture of palms and shade trees, while the trails along the drainage runnels and in transition to the natural desert environment would be planted with local tree species, relying only on naturally available rainfall and water-runoff. The park would thus reflect Beer Sheva's image as a growing and active city that is aware of the natural assets and beauty of its desert location....

October 2, 2017

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Hiriya Refuse Mountain Planning Competition – Ayalon Park

This international competition for the rehabilitation of the Hiriya Refuse Mountain called for ideas about how to transform this prominent garbage mountain into an active and positive landmark as part of the Ayalon Park. The iconographic shape of the mountain proved to be structurally instable, and part of the design task was to suggest solutions to protect it from collapsing into the Ayalon riverbed that embraces the site. In our proposal we suggested applying to the future treatment of the mountain the same criteria that characterized its erection: communal contribution, open-endedness and ever-occurring change. The incremental filling and flattening of the existing mountain slopes would lend a platform for temporary exhibitions and installation, inviting public participation at every level. The final facets of the mountain slopes would reflect the rich and multi-colored history of the mountains’ inside. The top part of the mountain would be divided onto different areas for active and passive recreation: strolling, bicycling, horse-back riding, listening to concerts, partying, sculpting, and more....

October 2, 2017

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Denya Square

October 2, 2017

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Park Ha Hurshot

The program for this competition was based on a master plan prepared by the city that called for the design of a 25 hectare inner-city park that would integrate approved building plans while preserving the existing vegetation of stands of oak and pine groves, as well as recalling the history of citrus groves with wells and farm houses that existed until the middle of the 20th century. The site also includes a botanical and nature garden, a school, sport facilities, an archaeological site, and miscellaneous building complexes that had to be preserved. Two roads transect the park today that divide the site into four separate parts. Our design goal was to create a park that will be both a neighborhood park and, because of its cultural heritage and existing natural beauty, a destination for visitors from all over Tel Aviv. Closing one of the roads to vehicular traffic and providing overpasses over the second road made it possible to unify and connect all parts of the park for pedestrians, bicyclists and the local wildlife. We inserted activity areas into the existing matrix of natural and built-up areas with emphasis on four different themes: education and ecology, cultural heritage, sport, and recreation, depending on the vicinity and interaction with existing facilities and the park's surroundings....

October 2, 2017

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Coastal Park, Tel Aviv

October 2, 2017

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Shaar Hagai Interchange

Halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem at a point where the Judean Hills begin to rise abruptly from the foothills lies the natural gateway to Jerusalem. At this point an interchange was needed to connect the major east-west road between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv with a new major north-south connection. The proposed bridge interchange would have blocked the historical view of the pass through the hills. After much study we proposed sinking the interchange beneath the existing highway a few hundred meters west of the mountain pass, thus preserving unimpeded the historic way up to Jerusalem. The design includes a series of stone terraces beginning at the base of the underpass, which integrate the new intersection into the existing landscape. The interchange is planted with more than a thousand mature olive trees. The newly designed area brings simplicity and order to the interchange, while tying the immense man-made roadwork to its natural surroundings....

October 2, 2017

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Phosphate Works

One of Israel's major mining industries is the exploitation of the phosphates in the Negev Desert. For decades the Negev Phosphate Works have been removing these materials by open-pit mining. The result has been the creation of a desolate landscape of huge holes with adjacent waste heaps some 40 meters high. Mounting public pressure compelled the company to commission a plan to deal with the ecological and environmental damage caused by its mines. Our strategy called for new mining procedures that eliminate the open pits by refilling them once the phosphates have been removed. The area, slope, and shape of the fill deposits are predetermined in the plan and echo the surrounding crescent-shaped geological formations. The end result is that a new landscape in effect, a gigantic environmental sculpture, is created....

October 2, 2017

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Nesharim Interchange

The challenge of this project was to find a way to integrate a vast and complex infrastructural intervention visually and functionally into the surrounding landscape, minimizing the impact for residents of the adjoining areas, and providing an evocative experience for users of the routes. The plan thus borrows from both the surrounding agricultural and wild landscapes. It turns to the existing agricultural landscape for the plantings in the large flat areas which are captured between the roads and ramps. These areas contain massive groves of carob and olive trees. Meanwhile, all the slopes are planted with native species of grasses and perennial bushes, and seeded with native annual flowers which are mowed yearly. In all seasons, the plantings provide a play of colors at a vast scale meant to be understood while traveling at high speeds. The pastoral feel provides a striking contrast to the industrial cement works and ramp bridges, making the Nesharim Interchange a real landmark along the routes which pass through it. A seasonal river which runs through the interchange is restored with restorative plantings to highlight its course from afar and to augment its ecological value as a wildlife corridor. All plantings are low-cost and low-maintenance, irrigated with treated wastewater. Ecological surveys done in recent years show a high biodiversity and indicate that the native plantings have triggered a substantial regeneration of the local flora....

October 2, 2017

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LRT – Green Line

October 2, 2017

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Ben Shemen Interchange

This interchange is one of several that were designed by our office along the historical route between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. With the insertion of a new lateral north-south highway to Israel, Road#6, the original interchange had to be fully redesigned to accommodate the new road and all its off-ramps. The project is located at the point where the fields of the coastal plain meet the foothills of the Judean Hills. Our overall design concept for the Tel Aviv – Jerusalem highway treats each segment and interchange of the road as part of an ensemble of historical and cultural landscapes and sites, culminating in the arrival to Jerusalem. In the layout of the interchange, preference was given to underpasses instead of bridges in order to ensure visual continuity for the travelers on the major crossroads. In continuation of the existing landscape we created a mosaic of olive and carob tree groves, newly planted forests and agricultural fields in areas where local farmers could tend to them....

October 2, 2017

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Ben Gurion International Airport

Our overall approach to the airport landscape design was to relate strongly to the agricultural landscape of the surroundings: the traditional citrus groves and agricultural fields. The central garden is an abstraction of the natural region with its particular topography and its man-made agricultural development. The design is a clear summary of the physical characteristics of the iconographic landscape from the coastal plain around Tel Aviv up to the mountains of Jerusalem....

October 2, 2017

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Restaurant Building, Coffee Shop and Service Building, Stage 2 and 3

October 1, 2017

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Restaurant and Public Services in Park Herzelia

The building is located adjacent to the large playground area, providing parents with the opportunity to drink coffee while maintaining eye contact with their children. The building also includes large public bathrooms and general facility rooms. The park is divided into more quiet and active areas and it was important to us to introduce this 250 sqm building in a way that would make it an integral part of the landscaping and minimize its overall presence. Thus we buried it in the new topography of the open amphitheatre, leaving exposed only the curved façade facing the playground. The finishes match those of the park, with architectural concrete cladding elements and wood paneling, and a steel and wood pergola shading the coffee shop sitting area....

October 1, 2017

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Residence in the Hefer Valley

This private house in an agricultural village in the Hefer valley sits on a large, 16 dunam plot. The design emphasis was on integrating the new additions to the existing family house from the 60s in such a way as to retain the character of the house on the street side and to give the private side towards the garden a new and modern character. A large steel and glass box was inserted between an existing tool shack and the house, creating the new public areas and entrance for the house. The entire interior was remodeled to accommodate the new living program. An additional ‘box’ was added for the master bedroom. A continuous pergola and wooden deck connects these new elements to the existing house, providing shaded sitting places around the new pool and the long views into the agricultural landscape....

October 1, 2017

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Residence in Mevaseret

This private house was an addition to an existing two-family unit on a small sunken lot. The design challenges included negotiating considerable height differences toward the road and the small size of the lot. The solution was to free as much garden and courtyard space as possible by cantilevering the entrance to the second floor of the house, creating a double height living area as the core of the house....

October 1, 2017

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Residence in Har Adar#2

The design of this house on a long, narrow and steep lot in Har Adar had to take into account the severe winds that are typical for this neighborhood. The house is designed around two inner courtyards that are private, sheltered and shaded, with large windows facing them. All the public spaces are interconnected with the patios and the rest of the garden to create a mosaic of indoor and outdoor living. Negotiating the height differences between the house and the street created the opportunity to provide a wide entrance leading up to the central patio....

October 1, 2017

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Residence in Har Adar#1

This house on a long, narrow and steep lot is centered around a big, sheltered courtyard with a mulberry tree in its middle. A double height space faces this outdoor patio and is revealed as a surprise to people entering the house. This arrangement blends the indoor and outdoor seamlessly, providing the family with a private garden all year around. The material palette for the walls and floors was intentionally limited to one type of natural stone, dressed in different ways....

October 1, 2017

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Orchid Hotel

This one-hundred and forty-four room hotel is perched on a mountain near Eilat, overlooking the Red Sea. The site was sculpted very carefully and each room placed so that it has a view of the sea and a private entrance. The central public areas of the hotel surround ornamental and swimming pools. The whole site is heavily planted, while the surroundings are left in their natural severe desert conditions. This sharp edge makes the hotel a dramatic oasis. Our office was responsible for all aspects of design, including the architecture....

October 1, 2017

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Municipal Center for Veterinary Services

The new complex for the municipal veterinary services includes a 600 sqm administration building (offices, meat storage facilities, operation room and clinic, lecture hall), six buildings for different types of animals, and 14 dunam of open spaces. The project started in 1999 with the statutory plan, progressing into the detailed design and execution of the architecture, interior and landscape design. The challenge was to provide solutions for a complex program and stringent environmental stipulations. The small size of the lot and its extreme topography added to the complexity. The design was worked out in close team work with the veterinary services staff, striving to create the optimal conditions for both animals and people. Emphasis was given to natural lighting and ventilation of all buildings and rain water collection for the cleaning of the animal shelters....

October 1, 2017

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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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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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Suzanne Delal Dance and Theater Center

As the core project for the rejuvenation of a historic neighborhood of Tel Aviv, a 2,800 square meter plaza was created between two abandoned schools by closing the road between them. The school buildings themselves were renovated to become a large modern theater and a dance school. The new urban plaza between these buildings facilitates many related activities, as well as providing a large urban public open space in the neighborhood. The singular use of orange and citrus trees in the plaza reminds visitors of the orange groves that were originally planted here. Small water runnels around the trees, falling down one step, create a welcome sense of relief in the heat of summer. Urban formality is mixed here with historic reminders....

October 1, 2017

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Botanical Garden

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September 11, 2017

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Dead Sea Promenade, Ein Bokek

While sea levels in the northern portion of the Dead Sea are dropping drastically each year, this project was initiated in response to the problem of rising sea levels in the southern portion caused by industrial mining activity. The design creates an integrating, continuous public space connecting the main axis of hotels with the raised and renovated beach and new promenade along the seashore. The project is organized as a series of zones moving outwards from the sea: beach, promenade, beach park, parking, and finally the main axis of hotels and transport, all of which are framed by the striking desert cliffs. The beach zone penetrates into the sea itself with accessible decks to bring bathers into the water. A series of large shade structures protect visitors from the average summer temperatures of 40 degree, providing large islands of continuous shade designed for families and to encourage groups and interactions between the diverse visitors. The white of the shade sails offsets the warm colors of the desert landscape and the brilliant blues of the sea, and the silhouette of the structures creates a dialogue with the Jordanian Hills at the horizon. The beach park is planted with a grid of date palms which evoke the typical agricultural groves of the Dead Sea area and which provide a strong vertical architecture and sense of scale. The park includes lawn for picnicking families, as well as desert plantings, and is watered with treated wastewater from the hotels....

July 9, 2017

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Fish Park, Modi’in

The 'Fish' park is one of the central open spaces in the new town of Modiin, connecting two linear parks on its edges. Central to the design were the preservation of the long views across its long axis while providing a maximum of play structures and facilities for this new and young community. The collaboration with the Israeli artist Aaron Ben-Arieh produced a series of play "stations" under the overall motive of "Fishes and Sealife". A large pergola provides much needed shade, overlooking grass terraces for informal ball games....

July 9, 2017

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Glil Yam Park

July 9, 2017

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Herzelia Park

The park in Herzliya is a work in progress with less than half of the entire park developed: the Master Plan envisions the protection and further enhancement of the existing water systems, while providing new recreational facilities for the inhabitants of Herzliya and the region. It is being implemented and adjusted in a dynamic process of public participation and education, on-site research about the site's unique natural processes and assets, and an on-going understanding on our part of what the expectations and needs in a modern urban park are. The park is located on an historical flood plain with large seasonal winter ponds. The existing matrix of the drainage and flooding systems, combined with the idea of using the imagery of a tree with extending branches as the organizational structure, determined the formal language for the park: the general layout and the design of its built elements interprets this basic idea of 'natural flow'. The first stage included re-habilitated drainage channels, a lake, and an amphitheater, a feature playground area and a coffee shop/public facilities building. Separate path systems for runners and cyclists weave through the park and connect to the existing surroundings. The following stages were designed around the unique winter ponds with their rich wildlife of migrating birds, including viewing decks and bird watching shelters while continuing the basic structure of pedestrian, bicycle and running paths, as well as play areas....

July 9, 2017

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Park of the Groves

"Park of the Groves", the largest green space in South Tel Aviv at 100 acres, has undergone a series of changes over the last century. Remnants of elevated irrigation pools and well houses, found today inside large groves of oak and pine trees, recall the traditional agriculture of citrus groves once cultivated by Arab farmers from Jaffa. Based on the city's Master Plan, the design of the first stage defined several strategic intentions: improving connectivity throughout the site and with its surroundings; exposing and integrating the various historical layers in the design; creating a sustainable green space with emphasis on existing urban ecologies; inserting of recreational activities; using mainly standard municipal details in order to ensure easy maintainability while concentrating resources on special features. Foot and bicycle paths traverse the park and connect it to the city beyond. Along the now pedestrian-only axis of Ofer Cohen Street, a series of plazas and an amphitheater provide a platform for events and local initiatives. Replanted orchards around the three historical irrigation pools and the reconstructed traditional irrigation system bring alive the agricultural landscape of the past. A large play area and viewing tower create a major attraction for children, while an herb garden in the shade of existing fruit trees offers a pleasant area for visitors who seek quiet. All new plantings in the park are of agricultural or indigenous species, encouraging an increase of wildlife, including an ecological pond with a bird watching shelter. Many areas are left to naturalize with minimal maintenance. Most of the rain water runoff is captured on site by creating low-point basins and terracing of the existing topography, allowing for water return to the aquifer....

July 9, 2017

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Sapir Park

In the 1980's, engineers building the desert settlement of Sapir were surprised to find water seeping through new foundations. Geological analysis in the area showed a layer of clay capping a permeable layer of fractured dolomite stone. It was decided to drain and collect the water away from the settlement by creating a small lake. By removing alluvial debris and the clay layer, water was allowed to percolate into a pool of about 3,000 square meters. The sides of the basin were lined with concrete topped with river-washed local stone; the bottom was left unlined to allow the upwelling of water. The area of the lake was determined by the amount of groundwater seeping through the permeable strata minus the rate of evaporation throughout the year. The water level remains constant through the balance of these quantities. Sapir lake has been developed into a desert oasis for recreation. It has a boardwalk at one end from which people fish. There is a re-circulating rivulet which adds a pleasant background sound, and grassy banks where people can picnic and play....

July 9, 2017

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Gabriel Sherover Promenade

This promenade overlooks the Old City of Jerusalem, parts of western Jerusalem and a great sweep of the Judean Desert. Its 1,350 meter long walk is used by both Jews and Arabs as well as tourists and pilgrims to Jerusalem. Its quiet gardens, planted with agricultural species such as wheat and olives, and its many viewing pergolas, create an atmosphere of peace and beauty in which to enjoy this unique and world-famous site. The garden contrasts sharply with the desert which begins immediately at its feet, and provides an elegant transition from the city to the classic views of Jerusalem....

July 9, 2017

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South Beach Promenade, Eilat

This one-kilometer-long Promenade, located on the western edge of Coral Beach Nature Reserve, provides a pleasant route for tourists and residents walking or bicycling at the edge of the Red Sea. Wood is used extensively for edges, steps and pergolas, while local granite is the major paving for the paths. Granite boulders punctuate the way, creating a focus for desert planting. Crushed local granite is used extensively as a surface cover between the planting areas, making a connection to the surrounding mountains. ...

July 9, 2017

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