The Museum of the Palestinian depopulated villages - Bethlehem
Elias Anastas - Youssef Anastas

Biography

Thinking of a project as a process is the only common thread running through our work. Beginning the thinking of a project at the opposite end of the planning spectrum, from the bottom up, helps us merge into the deep understanding of local know-hows, and capacities of widening or subverting the initial end result to new uses. We consider the process as a means of minimizing energy consumption between design and realization. Working directly with factories and artisans enables to optimize the energy consumption in function of the resources available and the ambitions. We believe that sustainability is no excuse for sacrifices. Instead, research is synonym of ambition for a more sustainable, more comfortable, and more interactive design.

Youssef Anastas started his studies at l’Ecole d’Architecture de Paris Val de Seine, and pursued at l’Ecole d’Architecture de Marne la vallée, where he got his M.Arch. Yousef is completing a Civil Engineering Masters at l’Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées, in Paris. He is currently working, as part of a research study, at the Princeton University’s Form Finding Lab, led by Professor Sigrid Adriaenssens. During his studies, he grabbed the opportunities to enrich his experiences, by working at the practices of Kengo Kuma and Associates in Paris, and at the Paris office of RFR. He is currently responsible of AAU ANASTAS office in Paris, while continuously emphasizing the link between Architecture and Engineering. He is as well heading a new department of AAU ANASTAS dedicated to research. The first research edition will kick off in November 2014, and will tackle contemporary stone construction techniques.

The Museum of the Palestinian depopulated villages - Bethlehem

In june 2013, Elias and Yousef Anastas were invited to a restricted competition managed by the Municipality of Beit Sahour in the district of Bethlehem. They were awarded first prize in September 2013 and appointed to design the project.

The proposed concept is defined by a geometric volume which defines an urban insertion. The building follows the form of the allocated parcel, thus maximising the space for an internal courtyard signifying the Memorial space. This central space acting like the focal point of the project articulates the different components of the program from one side, and connects the Museum to its surroundings from the other. In order to preserve the initmacy of the neighbourhood, the volome of the project is created around a thick wall that refers to the old city’s enclosures. This wall is interrupted to create the connection with the city through a monumental entrance that spans all along the main street. 

The mixed use program of the project combines the Museum with a boutique hotel. The volumes of the two programs are dispatched on the site, and are linked through the urban space formed by the Memorial public space. The hotel program is imagined as a function of the Museum, generating an un-interrupted activity on the valuable parcel donated by the Beit Sahour Municipality.

The roof is deformed in order to protect the courtyard from direct sun radiations. The massing of the building interacts with the climatic properties of the site, creating a micro climate within the building. This micro climate is enhanced by the presence of a water bassin and dense vegatation in the courtyard.

The slopped triangulated form of the roof refers to the nature of Palestinian landscapes, and is designed to protect from sun radiations. Its geometry creates different typologies of spaces with various heights and light intensity.

The different functions are arranged in such a way that one can always see into the Memorial space, creating a sense of openess and transparency. In addition to the permanent and temporary exhibition spaces, the museum accomodates as well an auditorium, projection spaces, archives, a shop, an administrative block, and a restaurant.

All the public functions such as the entrance museum shop,restaurant, workshop spaces, and delivery area are situated on the ground floor. The basement floor is reserved for the triple height permanent exhibition space naturally lit from the long facade on the court yard. The floors above the ground floor are reserved for the hotel rooms in the hotel volume, and the administration of the museum located on mezzanines overlooking the Museum entrance space.

The material concept consists of massive thick concrete walls on the outer enveloppe of the project, and transparent flexible glass and steel facades on the perimeter of the court yard. The borders in the internal space of the project are designed to maximise interaction, and blur the limits between the inside and outside spaces.