A-MECHAYE

The northern part of Jerusalem Boulevard, the distinctly historical part, undergoes a dramatic urban transformation with the installation of the new light rail, transforming  into a pedestrian only boulevard. The area rich in "cloister" architecture and in conservation-worthy buildings. It is with this context that the studio sought to tackle the merging of the old and the new; creating a new complex architectural environment keeping with the cultural and the historical local tone. "A-Mechaya" is an artists' retreat complex, combining residential sections, hotels, shared work spaces, exhibition spaced, as well as commercial and leisure uses. All aspects are designed, visually and ideologically, to express the Jaffa spirit using principles of Phenomenology.