דואט

Urban edges are marginal territories — fragmented and often forgotten zones situated along the boundaries of the city. At these thresholds, administrative, statutory, ideological, and at times physical separations emerge between neighboring urban entities. These peripheral areas, located beyond the focus of planning attention, suffer from neglect and gradually transform into spaces devoid of identity and belonging. This project focuses on the border between Jaffa–Tel Aviv and Bat Yam, seeking to reinterpret these urban edges as opportunities for the creation of dynamic environments that foster continuous dialogue and connections between cultures, communities, and regions. The intervention in these peripheral zones draws upon theories from the field of body art, employing movement as a planning tool to generate spatial transformation. Dance is understood as a complex, living, and breathing system. Within its unfolding, diverse relationships emerge — between the dancer and their body, between dancers and the spatial field, and among the dancers themselves as a form of collective harmony. The dancer, as an active body, does not merely move within space, but produces it — imprinting rhythm, direction, and meaning upon it. The project thus seeks to weave a living choreography between the human body, the environment, and architectural space — both in its natural and urban dimensions. It focuses on the kurkar ridge, the seashore, and the surrounding urban fabric, with an architectural response that merges seamlessly with the topography and landscape. The use of local kurkar stone serves not only as a construction material but also as a conceptual anchor that roots the building in its site. The connection to the sea is expressed through the creation of a new urban axis linking city and shore, allowing even those who do not enter the building to experience the project as part of their passage toward the waterfront. The green roof continues the natural landscape, forming an open public terrace for observation, gathering, and community activity. At street level, a vibrant commercial façade defines the urban edge and extends the public and commercial continuity from Balfour Street to the sea. At the heart of the building, social, communal, and cultural functions engage the diverse populations of Jaffa and Bat Yam, giving architectural expression to the encounter between cultures and identities. In doing so, the project becomes a vital civic hub, generating new connections between the two cities. Ultimately, the project aims to transform the city’s edge into a living interface — a dynamic spatial duet between the city, the landscape, and movement.