Visual Scape

VISUAL SCAPE

The distinctive separation between the social classes in Jerusalem is apparent through the imagery associated with the neighborhoods throughout the city. The socio-economical status is reflected in the physical conditions of the neighborhoods surrounding the Sheikh Jarrah site, including maintenance of streets and the treatment of building surfaces. These visual clues reflect character, while also presenting a hierarchy and status of each neighborhood. To the south west of our site is the Arab neighborhood of Wadi Joz, an industrial area cluttered with grungy auto repair shops and underdeveloped housing complexes. Located at the pit of the valley, buildings are clad with graffiti, washed with dirt and in overall decrepit condition signifying it’s dilapidated state and status as a lower class village. In contrast to these underdeveloped Palestinian neighborhoods, heading north across no man’s land is a well-developed and relatively high-class residential Palestinian community. Physically, this field is an extension of our olive grove site, and it also serves as a buffer between the low and higher-class Palestinian neighborhoods that clearly separates the differing conditions. A sharp turn in atmosphere is clearly distinguished with empty, clean roads, less utilization of outdoor residential space, ornate, stylized and clean exteriors as well as the use of landscaping creating the image of a rustic community set within the forest. Towards the north east of the site, the powerful image of Israel’s economy is presented through the public buildings set on Mt. Scopus including the Regency hotel, Sports Complex, government offices and Hebrew University, which have evidently been considered in design, scale and maintenance unlike the buildings in Wadi joz.

Although stone is the most common and emblematic building material of Jerusalem amounting to 66% of household building material, the treatment of these surfaces differ from each community. Within the high-class Palestinian neighborhood, architectural considerations including arches and decorative window treatment are used to beautify the exterior of a building, while Wadi Joz buildings have plainer and worn out facades. The costs of their weak and old houses are too high to repair, and a removal or building permits almost impossible to attain. In comparison to the use of stone in household building materials, the public buildings lining Mt. Scopus to the northeast, a pristine polished stone is used as a primary building material identifying Israel’s economic success.

A visual clue to determine the living conditions of a residential neighborhood is the uses of balconies, roofs and outdoor spaces. The number of water heaters and satellites atop of a flat top roof can determine the density of a housing complex. The housing density in Wadi Joz is at 4.9, totaling 5,700 in population, whereas Sheikh Jarrah has an average housing density of 4.2, with a population of 2,400. In Wadi Joz, it is not uncommon to see three or four satellites perched on a small three storey-housing unit. Balconies and roofs provide as extra storage space and hanging clothes, where it is obvious that these functional spaces aren’t necessary in the high-class residential areas allowing for pitched roofs and empty balconies. With the current Israeli municipal policies, there are inadequate housing conditions for the Palestinians including decreased standards of living with poor infrastructural systems and lack of housing units to provide for the Palestinian population comfortably within each neighborhood.