Is Nahum Tower in Bat Yam, Israel the ugliest building in the world?
Is this the world's ugliest building? And why we keep things when they are not perceived as ugly.
urban architecture
Experiencing New York’s High Line revision
Gotham’s green foliage projects in large urban communities like New York City and Chicago, not only produce year around vegetables; but also help preserve vestiges of former wild pastoral glory. An excellent example of efforts made to put abandoned urban space to good use as a garden park is the High Line urban grasslands park in New York […]
Iraqi Mud Architect Talks Sustainability and Corruption in the Middle East (Exclusive Interview)
Award-winning architect Salma Samar Damluji speaks to GreenProphet about her mud architecture work in Yemen and why Dubai’s property development mentality is ruining the Middle East The Middle East may be a fascinating place politically but architecturally, it’s on its last legs. Years of corruption and poor governance mean it’s slowly becoming one of the […]
Vertical Gardening Celebrated in Tel Aviv
This past weekend Yael Stav offered tours of her home and vertical garden as part of the “Houses From Within” Batim Mibifnim exhibition in Tel Aviv. Some of the garden was built using recycled materials and compost from her children’s eco-friendly diapers.
Pixel Hotel Tel Aviv Is A Little Love Shack (Photos)
From Linz to Tel Aviv: the lifeguard loveshack, a future Pixel Hotel in Tel Avi rendering. Tafline reported last week on the unusual and super neat project of Pixel Hotels. The idea started in Linz, Austria where unconventional and unused urban properties like garages or spaces within galleries – like a trailer in a gallery […]
Greening The Refugee Camps of Lebanon
Nina Rahal-Lott, is a trained architect who wants to transform the Badawi refugee camp in Lebanon from an ‘environmental catastrophe’ into a green haven Born and raised in Beirut and trained as an architect, Nina Rahal-Lott is a women with a vision. After witnessing the dire conditions that Palestinian refugees live in across Lebanon, she […]
Green Houses Open to the Public During Tel Aviv’s Annual Architecture Weekend
Tel Aviv’s architecture weekend takes note of green spaces and green issues. For the past decade or so, Tel Aviv has been undergoing a type of ‘renaissance’ and as a result it is considered one of the hippest tourism destinations in the Middle East. Alongside its architectural facelift and infusion of stylishness, though, the city […]
Meet Rawabi’s dreamer: Bashar Masri
We speak to Bashar Masri, the man behind Rawabi, which means “The Hills”, Palestine’s first planned and green city. Since announcing plans to build Palestine’s first planned and green city back in 2008, the Rawabi project has faced its fair share of criticism. From political complications over using Jewish National Fund trees, concerns by environmentalists […]
It’s Back to Real Estate Basics for the United Arab Emirates
With Dubai’s property sector still in crisis, many predict the end for real estate glitz and the start of a more modest UAE Whilst the Gulf states continue with business as usual by supporting fuel subsides in order to avoid political unrest, there are some areas of luxury in the Gulf which will have to […]
Ehrlich Architecture Trumps Hadid And Foster With UAE Parliament Win
Considered a huge upset in the architecture world, Ehrlich firm wins bid to build the new UAE Parliament Building. Foster & Partners have a solid footing in the Middle East, with Masdar City and other popular projects under their belt. And Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid is a celebrity who inspires red-carpet treatment wherever she goes. […]
Since History Can’t Be Bought, The UAE Will Pass A Law To Protect It
The Al Fahidi Fort is just one historical building in the UAE that would be placed under federal protection if a new architectural law passes Details of past events – notable battles and people – may be recorded in books or passed down through oratory. But buildings such as this sextet of cave homes in […]
Is Egypt The New Dubai?
Is marketing Egypt as the next hot spot for high-tech architecture the right way to deflect Dubai’s failure? From an ecological perspective, Dubai is heading towards failure. From an economic perspective, some argue that it already has. How will this improbable city pick up the pieces? Todd Reisz, an architect based in New York City, […]
Yoav David, City Architect of Tel Aviv, Goes “EUREKA” About Urban Sustainability
Commuter traffic and wasteful buildings are Tel Aviv’s biggest polluting culprits, according to City Architect of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Yoav David. As one of the events surrounding the EUREKA Israel Chairmanship this week, Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv, Asaf Zamir, and Tel Aviv City Architect Yoav David spoke to visiting European representatives about the city’s efforts […]
“72 Hour Urban Action” Takes Over Bat Yam, Israel
Teams have 72 hours to re-design an urban area in a pretty crumby satellite city in Israel. It’s guerilla urban architecture. We’ve all had the same thought: it’s been built, we’re stuck with it. This ugly urban mess we have created is here to stay and there’s nothing we can do about it; may as […]