Submitted by WA Contents
HQ Architects puts four giant flowers in the heart of Jerusalem
Israel Architecture News - Oct 27, 2015 - 15:10 9556 views
image © Dor Kedmi
HQ Architects installs a “Warde”, a four-giant flowers and an urban installation located in Vallero Square, in the heart of Jerusalem, positioned at the entry of the main open market and a tram line staion, iscomposed of four 30’ high and 30’ wide inflatable flowers. This installation ispart of the municipality’s effort to improve the urban space of the citycenter. The existing squareis in poor condition. Divided by the tram line into two urban spaces, with no supportedprogram around them, and filled with inevitable urban facilities such as waste compostersand electricity sub-station, which a patchwork of ongoing landscape attempts tofix the non-coherent environment couldn’t save.
image courtesy of HQ Architects
Warde's attempt wasnot to fight the chaos, but instead to try and “tighten up urban space”; tospread around such fantastic elements that would overcome the reality of thesquare on one-hand, and will be able to stand for themselves in thenon-realistic situation of Jerusalem on the other.
image © Dor Kedmi
Four giants flowerswere carefully positioned to be viewed from all around the square and from themarket near by, each is separately inflated and reacts to the situation aroundit, so that whenever pedestrians walk by, the flowers inflate and open up, andthen deflate and close as the people walk away.
detail of giant flower. image © Dor Kedmi
If a by-passer is looking for amoment of shade during the hot summer days, the flower will inflate and stayopen until the person leaves. When the tram is approaching the station - allfour flowers will inflate at once and signal the shoppers to hurry if they wantto catch the tram.
night view of flowers. image courtesy of HQ Architects
image courtesy of HQ Architects
image courtesy of HQ Architects
image courtesy of HQ Architects
image courtesy of HQ Architects
image courtesy of HQ Architects
image courtesy of HQ Architects
plan view of ''Warde''. image courtesy of HQ Architects
structural detail of ''Warde''. image courtesy of HQ Architects
Project Facts
Design Architect: HQ Architects
Location: Jerusalem, Israel
Client: Jerusalem Municipality
Year: 2014
Key Personnel: Erez Ella, Matan Sapir, Ruth Kedar
Team: Netta Bichovsky, Guy Balter
Consultants: A. Ella constructors, Guy Ella
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