Shavit cinema is a white elephant at the heart of a residential neighborhood. The project aspires to turn the cinema’s ruins into a center of urban activity and culture, that mediates the gap between the main road, Moriah Av., and the quiet neighborhood.
The museum is based on the old cinema’s side aisles, while its main hall turns into a vibrant city square, nested between the museum’s wings. The main gallery is situated underneath the ground, stitching together the two side aisles of the museum. This underground junction is the core of the museum, while above the ground is a free path that connects Moriah Av. through the museum’s open courtyard to the neighborhood and the view of Zevulun Valley.
The circulation through the museum’s galleries is intertwined with glances to the street and the courtyard through small slits of the façade. This allows natural light to softly penetrate the galleries, and the further strengthen the relation between the museum space and urban surrounding.