A proposal for Beit-She’an, Israel
1999-2000

Large parts of modern Beit She’an (built in the 1950s) were built on top of the remains of Scythopolis, a Roman city that was big and flourishing. Today, only public buildings of Scythopolis are visible, most of them within an archaeological site adjacent to the new city (aerial map).

Beit She’an (population of 16,000) is a relatively poor city with a high rate of unemployment. Even though the adjacent archaeological site is a popular touristic attraction, the city does not benefit from it: The entrance to the site is located 300m from the modern city. The visitors, usually there as part of an organized trip, spend a couple of hours at the archaeological site and continue to their next destination. They do not interact with the city of Beit She’an in any way (aerial map).

The proposed interventions take place in a neighbourhood that was built partly on top of the hippodrome and other ancient city remains. The proposal aims to connect the modern city to its ancient past, and to enable the visitors to start their tour where the Roman city is part of a living urban entity, and not in a detached archaeological site. For the new city, interactions with the visitors and the ancient city could mean not only economical benefit but also social, cultural and spatial gain.

A telephone company building which partly sits on top of the hippodrome will be removed and the exposed remains of the hippodrome will be reconstructed. The existing pedestrian paths of the modern neighbourhood will be extended into this reconstructed area (model).

Three buildings currently located on top of the Roman street (and next to the hippodrome) will be replaced by two mixed used, semi-open structures. The ground floors of these structures will comprise the revealed and reconstructed Roman Street, and will be used for commercial and public functions. The upper levels will combine public functions and housing (model). The proposed structures will act as intermediate spaces, fusing street and building, and vertically connecting the Roman street to the modern city.