האריג

The project proposes an architectural and urban intervention in the Old City of Be’er Sheva, aiming to reestablish its presence as an active urban environment with a distinct identity and to reconnect it with the contemporary city. At its core lies the historic Ottoman grid, which formed the planning framework of the Old City and is closely linked to the history of the place and the presence of its Bedouin population. Through the exposure, extension, and reinterpretation of the grid, the project transforms this historic framework into a contemporary three-dimensional spatial and structural system that organizes the built environment, circulation, and public spaces. The grid is expressed through structural frameworks, bridges connecting buildings, and a network of courtyards, plazas, and pathways, creating urban continuity and spaces of encounter, overlap, and layering. The project introduces a mixed-use urban fabric that integrates housing, commerce, culture, education, and craftsmanship. As part of this approach, the historic Bedouin market is reinterpreted through contemporary workshops and craft spaces that combine production, exhibition, and retail, bringing creative and cultural activities back into the public realm. Rather than reconstructing the past, the project seeks to translate its underlying principles into a contemporary urban environment, where history and memory become an active part of everyday life and the renewed identity of the Old City.