1st Edition
Constructing a Sense of Place Architecture and the Zionist Discourse
While it is widely recognized that architects and their architecture play a key role in constructing a sense of place, the inherent nexus between an architectural ideology and the production of national space and place has so far been neglected. Focusing on the Zionist ideology, this book brings together practising architects and academics to critically examine the role of architects, architecture and spatial practices as mediators between national ideology and the politicization of space. The book first of all sets out the wider context of theoretical debates concerning the role of architecture in the process of constructing a sense of place then divides into six main sections. The book not only provides an innovative new perspective on how the Israeli state had developed, but also sheds light on how architecture shapes national identity in any post-colonial and settler state.
Biography
Dr Haim Yacobi is a Lecturer within the Department of Architecture at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem.
’The book is topical and will be essential reading for those who wish to scrape through some of the tough surfaces which coat the role of settlement in the Israel-Palestine conflict. At the same time, it offers important insights into the contribution of built space and the urban fabric for disciplines such as sociology, geography and politics, both historically and in terms of post-modern conditions.’ Wendy Pullan, University of Cambridge, UK ’These...scholarly essays...explain the relationship between ideology and the building, in every sense, of the Jewish Homeland. And they make a good stab at it...A searching, self-critical, and at times partisan, perspective on how architecture has helped to shape Israel and politicised its space.’ Building Design ’The book is on the whole well written...the quality of writing is excellent. The thematic organization works well...Many of the chapters will be enlightening and indeed thought provoking, both for the Israeli, or Near-Eastern practitioner designing modern buildings in the local context, and for other readers wishing to reflect on designing for diverse populations, as well as for those wishing to learn more about how Israeli architecture and urban design have developed its individual character today.’ Landscape Research ’Given the great variety and subtleness of the chapters and themes this text makes a major contribution to both architectural studies and contemporary social theory...the major theoretical and empirical contribution this book gives will...be important in developing what is a new and ultimately important research area.’ Geografiska Annaler ’...the significance of this volume is in its being a first step towards cracking the monolithic unified idea of place by understanding its identity as a contested ideological discourse...the book is an important reader for anyone who wants to go beyond binary perceptions of place.’ Political Geography ’...the valuable case
