City and Urban Infrastructures Lab Research Cluster 15 The Bartlett School of Architecture 2015
1.57 Figs. 1.54 – 1.60 The Crude Line ‘Cutting Across the Palestinian Archipelago’. The project responds to the request for proposals for the state of Palestine’s Rantis-1 oil block, which was announced by the Palestinian Authority in 2014. The Rantis oil field is located under the Green Line separating Israel from the West Bank. The proposal by the Palestinian Authority of extracting oil from the Rantis oil fields takes place in the context of the violent disputes over land between Israel and Palestine. Today, the implementation of Israeli road systems connecting settlements and military bases has drastically deprived Palestinians from any freedom of movement inside a territory that is, supposedly, theirs. Addressing this dramatic condition, this project proposes an oil pipeline that crosses the width of the West Bank. Under the cover of an oil maintenance
road, the project introduces a public bus system, a series of bus terminals and stations, and even motels. Its purpose is firstly to cut across the archipelago and to facilitate the circulation of people, but more importantly, to promote a future line of continuous urbanisation. Fig. 1.54 Territorial map showing the proposed oil pipeline and bus transport system. Fig. 1.55 Geopolitical map showing the proposed pipeline in the larger network of oil transportation around Palestine. Fig. 1.56 Axonometric drawing showing the underground location of Rantis oil field. Fig. 1.57 Geological section through the Rantis oil field. Fig. 1.58 Map of Bir Zeit showing the proposed pipeline, consultation zone and bus transport system. Figs. 1.59 – 1.60 Exploded axonometric drawing and interior render of the Bir Zeit bus terminal. 55