Coexistence is at the core of every prealent issue that is characterizing the twenty first century. It is political and social, it is economical and environmental but more than anything it is both fundamental and vital. It is no longer ethical or moral to turn our backs on our planet, on the problems we have created or on one another. It is time to acknowledge the need for change and seek an equilibrium that carves a path for the future. Jerusalem has the potential to set the foundationf or this change, to become the architects of a more harmonious and self-sustaining life, establishing precedent and establishing a universal language for what it is to live in synchronicity with the planet and with one another. Coexistence is the foundation for a "just, peaceful and sustainable" world that can go beyond the borders of Jerusalem and sets the stage for global change.
Historically, architecture has been a physical manifestation of both problems an dsolutions, called on for centuries to establish a verbal vocabularly for defining an era. The build form can communicate a social agenda, a political stance, or an environmental issue; Often acting as a physical record of where we have been and where we hope to go. As a way of approaching a Just Jerusalem by 2050, this proposal utilizes architecture as a catalyst for dialogue between two entities that have otherwise been divided. The intent is to construct a physical intervention that encourages coexistence and an individual's ability to live in sychronicity with their neighbors. Spatially it refocuses two independent settlements, one Israeli and the other Palestinian, Har Homa and Sur Bahir respectively. The Intent of the proposal is to creat a new datum of amenities that improve the daily lives of the residents of this region in the hopes that they may find common ground in the routine of life and begin to coexist.
