Innovative Play-space based on Cultural Heritage and Participatory Design | Rennen Zunder Design

PLAY-SPACE DESIGN FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD IN EAST JERUSALEM
BY RENNEN ZUNDER - URBAN DESIGNER

This is a design proposal made for the Jerusalem Municipality, for a new playground in the Arab village Abu Tor, in East Jerusalem. This village has 7000 children and only one playground! Last year they burnt the standard playground "kit" (ladder steps,tunnel,slide) in protest! Based on our thorough research, we devised a totally original and unique playground concept the residents can identify with, using available materials and cultural elements, such as their religious and political wall paintings (see photos), Arab alphabet calligraphy, local stones. Another important idea was to propose to connect the small 1000 sq.m. playground to the nearby forest, to enable them access to nature and risky play, with slides down the hill, and climbing walls. For this we contacted the KKL (forestry authorities) who gladly supported this idea. In the public participation meeting, which included the village Mukhtar (Chief), the local representatives voted positively and even agreed to participate in the construction. The proposal was co-designed with my colleague Architect Matti Rosenshein in our Masters Degree Program for Urban Design at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem. WE chose the location and site from humanitarian considerations, and received no remuneration. Matti prepared the drawings displayed here in freehand.
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The author was born in Canada, B.Sc. Engineering, INSEAD M.B.A., Masters in Urban Design.
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