Redevelopment of the Southern Terrace of Jabal al-Qal’a, designed by Dina Hadi, Mousa Shahin, and Hazim Samawi and supervised by Leen Fakhoury from the School of Architecture, University of Jordan recieved the award of The Omrania | CSBE Student Award for Excellence in Architectural Design.

More images and architect’s description after the break.

The local community in Amman is the most diversified community in Jordan, in terms of ethnic origins, minorities, habits, traditions, lifestyles and living standards. Therefore it provides a perfect environment needed to conduct site’s services and activities.

The main objective of the project intervention is to contribute to cultural tourism development in the area through an overall integrated plan that would improve livability, social cohesion and cultural enhancement.

The project also focuses on the preservation and protection of the rare and precious assets composing the cultural and historical surrounding of the site from the irresponsible urban sprawl (public and private sector intervention).
The project will regenerate selected key areas to improve overall levels of livability both for local people, visitors and the passing tourist.

Site Limitations:

Archeological limitation:
1. The northern and southern gates
2. The citadel wall and its southern precinct

Social limitation:
1. Frozen abandoned area cause social and moral problems
2. Low income and cost of living
3. Low security

Physical limitation:
1. Densely occupied areas/cannot evacuate these areas
2. Poor physical appearance
3. High architectural or typological significance or some buildings

Circulation limitations:
Not easily accessible
Vehicles: only one available access for vehicles
Pedestrian: low use of stairs and streets going up to citadel (tiresome journey)

Opportunities:
The existing historical heritage
The existing archeological sites
Tourist attraction area
There are already prime development project ( ras el ein, raghdan,….)

THE PROJECT CONCEPT (preserve a memory for something was alive)
To reflect the relation between the different layers of the city and how the past must not just be preserved, but made part of the future. Our purpose must be to rediscover how our inheritance and memory can become vivid and relevant to what we make now.
houses, silent, walls and such corridors every thing are silent each space are empty, in our site the cluster is and enclosed and protects space holding only an essential elements, ceiling, floor, a small slits of lights, groves between the walls opens the view towards the city, all these impressions gives us a trace that there is a mysterious story about these houses.

The impressions and perception about this site gives us a strong feeling that we are visiting a cemetery………….

The concept of the cemetery structured in designing a place which preserves a memory for such people
And we can see in out site many trace that indicate something was alive. And the light pattern in our site gives us a strong trace for something want to live or being a live.
The most distinct character of the space is dramatized by this play of natural light and shadow-light

only enhance the columned quality of a corridor( by way of shadows), which its most significant visual character. At the same time, it is interesting to see that light can also be used to totally change the character of a space

Criteria of the design
1. Taking in our consideration the wall that surrounds the citadel by preserving the historical value and the role of his edge
2. Preserving the intangible cultural heritage in our site
3. Potential horizontal circulation pattern
4. Tracing the livable spots in the existing
5. Preserve the main stair in our site as a remarkable access or the community to reach the citadel

Strategy of re-use:
1. significant in the spatial pattern, circulation and light patterns
2. Preserving the intangible cultural heritage
3. Revivng abundant areas that oblivion for many ears
4. Adaptive re-use

Strategy of demolition:
1. Bad condition without any architectural significant
2. Authority decisions for demolition
3. Blocking the panoramic view from the citadel to the city