רואים רחוק רואים שקוף

The project proposes a redesigned and unifying plan for the Port of Jaffa, reconnecting it to the city. The port features significant topography and is currently characterized by fences, barriers, and "island buildings" positioned along the waterfront, creating a visual and climatic barrier. The project creates this connection through a public intermediate level that bridges the topographic gap and connects to adjacent hangars via bridges. Internal courtyards are located on the public level as an interpretation of adjacent Old Jaffa. Additionally, significant priority was given to pedestrians over vehicles. This transformation was enabled by diverting Yehuda HaYamit Street, which currently bisects the port in two, and converting HaMigdalor Street into a pedestrian street with limited access. The project presents a contemporary response to the site's characteristic architecture: traditional Ottoman stone construction juxtaposed with British Mandate era industrial and storage buildings, as well as steel-and-glass hangars. The project was designed on a grid that relates to the surrounding context and existing buildings, including the "Nalaga'at" Cultural Center, while simultaneously allowing movement across levels and view corridors from east to west and north to south from the hilltop to the sea, and from Old Jaffa to the Ajami neighborhood. The design strives to create a port that belongs to the public even when incorporating private functions; therefore, luxury apartments and hotel suites were excluded. This approach is reflected, among other things, in the scope of public spaces, the program, and the conscious decision to orient building openings toward Old Jaffa and surrounding neighborhoods, rather than exclusively toward the Mediterranean Sea as is typical in commercial development. The project features a diverse mix of uses, including commerce, culture, a conference and performance hall, employment, a nightlife complex, hospitality, and extensive public spaces. Along the port's main thoroughfare, orchard trees were chosen to define the route, referencing the historic orchards that once surrounded Jaffa and are now gone. This is complemented by a permanent exhibition housed in a preserved Ottoman building, presenting the past of Jaffa and its port. The building design draws inspiration from the grid of Jaffa orange crates and the pallets onto which the crates were loaded. This is expressed in the construction of boxes stacked on top of one another with spacing between them. The facades, built of planks with variable spacing, were also designed in reference to the orange crates and pallets.