The Promise of Paradise Studio

Aim: How can a park emphasize theultime illusion of the Eden Garden of peace and heaven?Subject: This studio researches the promise of paradise. The focus is to design a walled park in a precious valley between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. This area represents unbelievable historical, religious and political values and meanings, as well as outstanding scenic beauty. The Jerusalem based UN-mapping institute recently released new maps showing a new concrete barrier wall to be built on the so-called \’green line\’ in the middle of this valley between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. This studio will research this wall to be designed and to be inhabited by a public park with monumental gates, green, flowers, lawns, a library, a historic museum, a monumental square, a children\’s hall, and auditorium. This speculative \’captured Eden\’ will be accessible from both Israeli and Palestinian sites and allows a public route between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.Students are not expected to visit the site; they will be supplied with maps, photos, digital topography, aerials.Exercise:The studio will start by building a site model of the valley and undertake collective research of five historic landscape paintings by Rembrandt, Hiroshije, van Gogh, Gallen, and Thomson to understand how to represent the soul of nature. This research will result in a collective colour printed studio report for all students.Design:To achieve the desired linear walled international park, each student will select a specific entity such as fountains, a leisure park, a library, illumination, monument square, the walls, the gates, the auditorium, etc. Together, these interventions will build the park. In a certain way, these individual projects will interact and influence each other, just like in real life. For the group as a whole, specific backgrounds such as landscape architecture, architecture, design and urban planning are needed. This is the ideal studio for a multidisciplinary approach with both a masterplan and a detailed smaller design subject. Planning, Adriaan Geuze at the Studio, Demands:Jan 29 lotteryExercise : 2 weeks\’how-to-paint-the-soul-of-nature- book\’Work in groups of 2 or 3 studentsDiagnosis : each student identifies with an element of the park to be built.Febr 8, 9Design : individual design research: concept sketches and site, presentation to the groupMar 1, 2 (date may change to Mar 7, 8)Design and researchMar 12, 13Design and research, preliminary designMar 21-preliminary design, midterm presentationApr 12, 13Design and details -definitive design: plans, sections, elevations and modelApr 26, 27Design and details-synthesis into the masterplan model, final review-the soul image (using the tools from the studio painting research) presented in an A1 format image for final review.May 7-11Final reviewPresentations:6 times a pin-up session for all of the group.Individual deskcrits every weekMidterm reviewFinal reviewTeachers:For this studio Adriaan Geuze will give desk crits and reviews every second week, the assistant teacher, Jane Choi, will coach the students every week (both individually and as a group)Guests, Jury:For midterm and final reviews, architects and critics from Israel and Palestine will be invited. Erez Ellah, architect from REX New York Shachar Zur, landscape architect West 8, Tel Aviv