Publication: A debate on the top-down approach to architectural interventions in conflicted historic cities: Jerusalem's Museum of tolerance
Date
2016
Authors
Başarır, Hacer
Yara, Sahifi
Önal Hoşkara, Şebnem
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Locke Science Publ Co Inc, 117 West Harrison Bldg Suite 640-L221, Chicago, Il 60605 USA
Abstract
The focus of this paper is the extravagant architectural works designed and built in conflicted historic cities, where continuity with the physical environment and social and political realities is critical. The paper will discuss the decision-making process at both the planning and urban design level and the architectural-design level. For this purpose, the paper will critically evaluate an attempt to intervene architecturally in the conflict zone of the historic walled city of Jerusalem, focusing on Frank Gehry's design proposal for the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem (MOTJ) and the contradictory symbolic meanings this kind of architecture creates in relation to conflict. The MOTJ project, which has followed a top-down decision-making process since its conception and whose goal is to contribute to peace in Jerusalem, is a helpful example for understanding the relationship between the trilogy of conflict, historic cities, and architectural intervention. The paper concludes that architectural interventions can successfully contribute to conflicted historic sites figuratively and literally only if they are truthful to the empirical reality of the context and based on real and common grounds recognized by all parties involved throughout the process.
Description
Keywords
Walled City, North Cyprus, Erasure