NAZARETH - Interwoven functions
design: mixed-use complex housing, hotel, event-hall
designteam: Studio Thomas Willemse
type: architecture / research
time: 2010-2011
1. street network on contour lines
2. sequence of urban spaces
3. plan
4. section
5. axonometry
Throughout history, Nazareth has become the largest Arab city in the Jewish state of Israel due to its cultural and religious international significance. Because of its complex political situation, the city lacks sufficient resources to compete with the modern developments in the neighbouring Jewish Nazareth Illit, resulting in a gradual migration out of the old city centre.
A programmatic mix of tourist and local functions is implemented on a node of the main street and the pilgrim’s route as a part of a larger vision to regenerate Nazareth from within.
Through the careful positioning of a building, an entire sequence of urban spaces can be created to bring a range of lacking urban areas to this node in the city. But in Arab culture public space is not per definition equal to open space. In that respect, the multifunctional spaces in the core of the building become the next spaces in the sequence of public areas and this can even be extended to the more private patios of the hotel and the apartments.
The axonometric view shows the detailed stacking of the actual components according to principles of daytime use and complementary interfaces between functions. It also gives a clear idea of the way in which the arrangement of the strips open certain areas for the terraces, patios and the roof street. These spaces have a different atmosphere because of their open or closed position with a blocked or wide open view, because they are covered or not, ...