City Gate of Nof Hagalil
Location: Nof Hagalil
Size: 42,000 sqm
Status: Unbuilt
Usage: Public and commercial spaces
Services: Architecture
About the Project
The project’s location posed various urban design challenges, the first one was the introduction of a vibrant, commercial street culture into an existing government office district where it doesn’t exist. The second challenge was overcoming a 3 floor height difference along the Maa’le Itzhak street facing the site . The third challenge was how to represent a project that will become iconic due to its location on the highest hill overlooking the city.
The design goal was to include public, open piazzas along the street and integrate commercial activities in an easy, comfortable way. Using the existing topography and height differences to develop an additional man-made topography opened the potential of creating two new activity zones. The first, a new urban bleacher and green roof overlooking the city is located across from city hall as a natural continuation of the plaza. The sloped terraced space can serve as a daily meeting place for government employees in the area. The sloped terrace is the roof of a 4,900 sqm two level commercial space located below and facing the second plaza along Maa’le Itzhak street.
The office building with a total floor area of 17,500 sqm is designed in a more subdued, humble envelope palette. The cladding is a delicate mix of curtain walls a white uniform shading system intended to create a distinct but quiet visual gesture along the city sky line.
The combination of openness and the creation of new public spaces on the ground floor and a white monolithic office building above create the desired affect harmony for the Nof Hagalil “City Gate”.