“A sensitive and authentic approach to salvage ancient habits and traditions”
Regional Jury Report – Middle East Africa
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Growing Social Fabric in Palestine
The trail that connects historic centers of Kafr 'Aqab and Jaba' aims to question the notion of borders and relationships between built and natural environments. A series of walks and community based activities were organized by Riwaq inviting different participants from the nearby communities and interested hikers from diverse disciplines. The trail also included a number of activities including oral history sessions, storytelling, exhibitions, performances and recycling activities.
Last updated: November 13, 2021 Eclepens, Switzerland
Project description by jury
The proposal for the restoration of the historic center of Kafr ‘Aqab, a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, creates an environmental, social and cultural hub for the local community. The project is the outcome of a collaborative effort made with local institutions, administrations and, most importantly, the local community. It moves through different scales to include infrastructural and landscape interventions as well as targeted measures at the building scale for the restoration of historical fabrics. The program includes a play area for children, eco-kitchens for the women’s association as well as spaces for cultural activities and local institutions.
To strengthen the connection with the location’s rural history and promote an environmentally friendly approach, the project emphasizes local materials (limestone, crushed pottery and sand) for reconstruction. In addition, the project adopts green practices including rainwater collection, greywater irrigation, reviving a water spring, and the integration of vegetation as a key design component. Green areas are conceived as social activators to promote interaction between community members and shared agricultural practices, offering new quality spaces away from pollution and urban densification.
Jury appraisal
The Holcim Awards jury Middle East Africa recognized this project as a gesture of significant global importance and a substantive contribution to architecture. In a region that has suffered for years from poor planning and development inertia, resulting in overcrowding, poverty and inadequate public infrastructure, the proposal shows how vital collaborative design can be in achieving the social reconstruction of a community occurring before any physical restoration of a place. Beyond the optimistic and cheerful message conveyed by the proposal, the jury highly appreciated the sensitivity and authenticity revealed by the project in considering the opportunity it offers to salvage ancient habits and traditions through story-telling practices as a necessary step in a truly holistic restoration process.