Zion Square

RAAL were invited to propose a landmark focal point in the heart of secular Jerusalem, reinventing a historically important and politically-charged gathering place as a space for reflection and commemoration. The proposal centres on a permeable canopy structure comprising 400 individual cylindrical cells, clustered and fanning outwards. The rectangular Cor-Ten steel cells are lined with highly reflective mirror-polished stainless steel. The resulting honeycomb reflects slivers of sky and surrounding turn-of-the-century architectural relics, into a kaleidoscope of colour and light. In turn, the shadows cast on the ground beneath the sculpture conjure the layout of traditional flagstones, stipulated since British Mandate rule as the predominant building cladding material for the Capital. At times foreboding and dramatic, at times light and ephemeral, the sculpture is unlikely to leave visitors impassive.