Natara: Waiting, Watching and Collective Seeing

SPATIAL DESIGN RESEARCH PROJECT

“Natara: Waiting, Watching and Collective Seeing” explores the obstruction of sunsets in Palestine as a result of the Israeli occupation.

This project examines the constructed systems of oppression and spatial segregation within the valleys of the Beit Jala, a town in the Bethlehem governance, focusing specifically on the socio-environmental .)مناطير traditions found in the agricultural watchtowers (Manateer).

The viewing of sunsets has become a pertinent and historic practice within Palestinian culture. Its significance in the agricultural and cultural realm is increasingly evident within the Beit Jalas territories. Restrictions facilitated through architectural strategies— including segregated roads, land, military checkpoints, the Apartheid Wall, and hilltop settlements—have demonstrated a direct link
to the obstruction of sunset viewpoints through the colonisation
of highlands and hilltops. The significance of sunsets lies in their functionality in illuminating the reality of the totalising effects of the Israeli occupation on everyday Palestinian life; their obstruction casts a shadow over this crucial illumination.

Through the design and creation of a space, extending traditions of stone manufacturing, and expanding on the historical traces left in the territory, the structure acts as a tool to revive the cultural significance of sunsets while acting as a way to protect and preserve the valley.

HAYA ZARU Design Strategy and Creative Direction

Madrid, ESBethlehem, PALAmman, JOR London, UK

HAYA ZARU

Design Strategy and Creative Direction

Madrid, ES
Bethlehem, PAL
Amman, JOR
London, UK