Rabin Compound Competition Proposal

Architect: Amir Mann - Ami Shinar

Location: Tel-Aviv, Israel

Client:       Tel Aviv City

Area:        100 acres

Status:     Conceptual 2012

Project designer and manager, from concept sketches, through drawings and detailed 3d models, to final graphics, posters and presentation.

 

The competition dealt with the urbanization of the present military central headquarters, situated in the heart of tel-aviv. The present site serves as a "black hole" within the city fabric, bordered off by walls. The idea was to shed these walls and create an intense urban environment around a central park. 

The military facilities would continue on a subsurface level, with their present highrise buildings serving as their entrance gates. The security requirements would be met in those specific gates rather then around the entire site. Glimpses of these lit facilities would be seen from sunken courtyards.

Conserved, single story 1930's houses are nesteled into the new park landscape grid. In continuation of the adjacent cultural and public hub - the Tel Aviv Public Library, Art Museum and District Court - the new park would be lined with public buildings in various levels, with residential building above: 

The ground floor levels, housing commercial functions, comprise of large footprint, two story buildings, which enclose well-defined public spaces - courtyards, streets and alleys. Their green roof provides a semi-public green area for the functions in the higher levels. Above a green gap, "cultural boxes" are floating, in warmer and dominant materials. These boxes house galleries, small cultural centers and studios. The highest level is comprised of high-rise residential buildings which also contain "green gaps", designed in various levels of tranparency so as to become a background for the street level functions, 

The vegetation in various levels creats a porous and airy look, despite the high density of the project.