The new municipality building of Netanya, located in the old part of the city introduces a unique public park for the city – a green heart – that like a ribbon gradually transforms from a horizontal landscape to a vertical climatic structure. Designed by the Dutch office ShaGa Studio in collaboration with Shyovitz Architects, they define Netanya’s future identity as a coastal city which truly embraces an urban sustainable lifestyle for its residents, workers and visitors. More images and architects’ description after the break.
A unique focal point at the center of town and a counter balance to the sea-side coastal square, the complex’s sustainable public character and its contemporary mix of leisure, culture and civic municipality services will help not only to regenerate the old center but also help complementing and defining this identity.
An Identity – Between Urban Regeneration and a City Landmark.
A city hall is an operational complex that serves the people of the city, and at the same time encapsulates the city’s identity. The Netanya city hall is therefore organized functionally as an interweaved structure of public, culture and municipal programs; avoiding hierarchical perception and giving rise to spatial organization that reflects transparency, environmental responsibility, comfort and efficiency.
Similarly, through its formal articulation and geometrical transformation the City Hall serves a dual purpose of being both an urban generator for its immediate context and playing a role of a city landmark which redefines not only the image of the city as a whole but also re-evaluates the individual relations of the city residents and their central local civic government.
Tower and Sustainability
A continuous ‘vertical’ ribbon consists out of 10 climatic atriums. Each Atrium defines a programmatic cluster of 4 floors and functions as clear orientation anchor for both visitors and staff. The unique “Jigsaw” façade along the atriums allows air to enter the building through integrated façade vents based on the external air pressure differences and reflected towards the outside as a continuous ‘flow of color’. The horizontal façade ribbons along the offices perform as shading elements and reflect through their transformation a site specific solar path in winter and summer.
Architects: ShaGa Studio Location: Netanya, Israel Collaborators: Shyovits Architects: Moti Shyovitz, Ran Goldman Visualization: Design Team + Moka Studio
