ISRAEL (5). BUILDING

THE SQUARE

INSIDE

A HUT A PROJECT FOR MEDITERRANEAN

HOUSE OFFICE IN JERUSALEM

Joaquín García Marín

contents Background Concept Location The building References

4 6 8 10 17

background The study of Jewish culture and the architectural devices involved in its processes led us to study the sukkah, a shelter where Jewish citizens live for a week (eat, meet, sleep, share) to celebrate God’s protection. The main architectural element in this device (the sechach) is a roof made of fresh cut tree branches, that should provide shade, without covering more than half the surface of the shelter. The lighting effect of this element suggests a vertical connection with god.

Jerusalem’s street during Sukkot holidays.

Sukkah: device + activity

“The clouds of glory miraculously sheltered the Jewish people from the heat of the sun while they travelled through the Sinai desert.

That’s why the sechach is the main element of the sukkah, the one that makes a sukkah a sukkah and not a simple hut. The sukkah is meant for shade from the sun, just like those clouds did”.

Rabi Eliezer

concept The idea of sechach becomes the main element in the device, as it works as an interface that promotes interaction between the mild Mediterranean climate and the interior activities.

For the design of the building, a series of layers of natural tissues, are placed vertically to work as the sechach. These layers are conceived as filters that works in two directions, limitating the degree of light coming inside (that can be regulated separatedly for the different zones inside), and also defining the shape and the dimension of the spaces for the different uses.

tissue rolls work

project initial scheme

The vertical stripes can be configured to adopt any lenght and form any section convenient to any activity in terms of height and surface. It can be configured in a “sechach mode�, too, that means changing their lenght in relation to the weather conditions, limiting the incoming light in accordance with Jewish conventions, promoting a large Kosher space.

location The building is located in the city of Jerusalem, in the middle of Zion Square. This place is in the nearby of the Old City and the Holy center of Jerusalem. This neighborhood was built in the early years of XXth Century, becoming at that moment a cultural center plenty of theaters, cafes and shops. After 60’s decade there has been a significant decay due to political matters. The project aims to start a revitalization of the area developing a public space linked to the program.

The shape of the square is determined by the confluence of several streets. The building is devoted to create a new protected public space that will interact with the Casa Mediterraneo’s program. The project looks for a way to create an appropriation chance for the user. Is conceived to be open 24 hours a day and just have some restrictec areas for the institutional program.

Zion Square (1934)

square

initial building scheme

The six point star, extremely iconic for Jewish culture becomes a starting point to develope the functioning of the building, as it gives a strong visibility to the project from many different points of the city from the horizontal pedestrian point of view. The height is considered not to excess over the existing buildings, as the flat surface skyline of the city should not be interrupted.

natural light input

It is extremely important for the development of the project the direction of natural light and its intensity during the day, in order to place the right uses at the right place, and to configure tissues densities and colors, to control the lighting imput.

the building

model fragment

the Sechach

the platforms

the square

groundfloor

max. h. 15 m.

auditorium

max. h. 10 m.

public square multipurpose area max. h. 19 m.

max. h. 10 m.

restaurant & storage area

moving reception desk

workshop + auditorium viewer

offices

first floor uses

terrace viewer

manager office + meeting room

workshop + auditorium viewer

exhibition multipurpose

offices

second floor uses

North-south section

E. 1:100

east-west elevation + section

E. 1:100

references Drawings: Langarita-Navarro Model: Sou Fujimoto Document: design media publishing