Klaas Johannes de Jong
Explore Lab
Embrace diversity: (un)divided Hebron | coexistence through architecture of water
Water scarcity and unequal distribution of water to different social groups are disruptive problems in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Water infrastructure is used as a territorial management tool and is proven to be a source of mistrust and misunderstanding. Hebron is an extreme example of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through limitations on movement and on water accessibility.
The Temple of Water derives from questioning the role of e.g. an architect in conflict spaces through the spatial embodiment of water. The design addresses the relevancy of the relation between water and architecture, it addresses the problems of territorial water management, provides the city of Hebron of water, and it is an inspiring platform to mix flows of people: the building design seeks an architectural expression in the provision of sufficient water to Hebron and explains the importance of water as the source of life, while being a place of de-segregation.