אם תיתן לי חלקי

The project was born from a personal experience of a mental health crisis during my last military reserve service. An experience that revealed to me the importance of mental well-being and the need to make it visible within the public realm. From this realization emerged a question: How can architecture contribute to the field of mental health through the tools I have acquired during my studies? During the research phase, two key insights emerged: 1. Mental health cannot be “solved” through medication or a one-time treatment, but is instead a process of learning how to live with one’s difficulty. 2. There is no single path to healing. Each person experiences and copes with emotional challenges in their own way. These insights shaped a vision of a healing community space. One that focuses on the recovery of both people and place. The project is located at the southern end of Herzl Street in Tel Aviv, a charged intersection between the remnants of Sakhnat Abu Kabir within Park HaHorshot to the west and Giv’at Herzl to the east, an area transitioning from an industrial past toward a new communal future. At the heart of the project stands the central building, which forms the core of the design. Once home to Beit Mars, the structure has been transformed into a multidisciplinary mental health center. The upper floors house diverse therapeutic environments: private and group treatment rooms, as well as open relaxation areas, all designed around the idea of architecture as a form of care: framed views toward nature, avoidance of sharp angles, the use of soft natural light, and a balanced rhythm between intimate and communal spaces. The lower floors and roof have been opened to the public as an active urban park, integrating nature, leisure, and community life to create a social framework for the therapy center above. The northern building was converted into residential units, taking advantage of the continuous glass curtain walls that wrap around it. By opening these façades, a series of balconies was created, from which the apartment layouts were derived. The lower floors were dedicated to workshops and craft studios that preserve the site’s industrial heritage while infusing it with new communal vitality. The southern building, the largest of the three, was chosen to serve as a community and sports center. Its wide footprint allowed for the design of a semi-Olympic pool, conference halls, and a theater on the lower levels, while the ground and roof floors were planned as flexible spaces for community events and diverse work areas. Together, the three buildings form a holistic urban system of healing. A place where architecture, community, and the human mind intersect to create new hope within the city.