Sun Stand Upon Givon
The city of Tel Aviv, large and global, has become in the last decades a spectacle, serving as a tool for economic activity at the expense of authenticity and the well-being of its residents. The branding process of Tel Aviv as a world city, accompanied by aggressive national and international marketing, makes it increasingly sterile. The tactic is known; the city wears a mask to drive tourism and the economy. The city center becomes a fantasy rather than a vibrant hub, gradually losing its essence in favor of branding. The project focuses on Givon Square and the fate of the buildings surrounding it due to processes of branding, transformation, and urban renewal. The future plan to change the face of the square includes assertive actions the authority uses to implement its aspirations regarding reshaping the city's appearance, potentially leading to a social transformation. The project explores how we can provide the city with a human, meaningful, and distinctive character through architectural elements and exposed street activity. The project returns the city's industrial layer to the heart of the urban space, contributing to a unique community space. The planning principle is a renewed proposal for the accepted 'masking method'. The same decoration that covers the city, meant solely to beautify it, can serve as an architectural tool for creating relationships and as a way of exposure and emphasis. The project offers a social perspective, revealing the behind-the-scenes of the inflated appearance.
