Dancing Memory

Student at: Birzeit University
Course: Landscape Architecture
Description: Reviving Odeh Hotel's Garden
Working Date: 2011

Team: Hania Halabi, Mohammed Abualrob

Odeh hotel was a prominent landmark in the history of Ramallah; it has witnessed many occupants from Ottomans to British to the Israeli authorities. As for its role, Odeh Hotel hosted many cultural activities in its garden which embraced musical ensembles including orchestras and bands in addition to evening public gatherings. For over a couple of decades, the hotel has been abandoned, and the idea of the project is to revive its garden as a new landmark that adapts to the needs of the modern life style.

In this project, the natural landscape of the garden is preserved. A wooden path elevated from the ground through which the existing huge trees penetrate, gives the people an opportunity to walk around the garden and explore the nature. Old photos for events that took place in the hotel’s garden tens of years ago were gathered, the human figures in the photos were subtracted, and then they were used as monumental copper elements, through which people walk and revisit memories of the space. In the night the biggest element is lighted and can be seen from different parts of the city re-introducing the garden as a landmark. As for the garden’s functionality, a small existing building embracing a court in the middle was used as a restaurant; a stage was proposed for cultural events, were the background of the performances is the old hotel building itself. In addition to that, the wooden path, and open green natural areas create spaces for public gatherings, these spaces - as we suggested- could be also used for open wedding ceremonies.