| Jerusalem |
| The Wall Builders Garden |
| Conservation and Development |
| Orderer | The Jerusalem Development Authority and The Jerusalem Foundation |
| Implemented by: |
Arch. Avi Mashiah
Landscape Arch. Ido Rosental
Arch. technician Yuval Avraham
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While conserving the Armenian wall (2009) within the framework of the Jerusalem City Wall Conservation Project (2007–2012) it became necessary to treat the remains of ancient walls in the Wall Builders Garden where accelerated weathering processes were identified. The garden, located at the foot of the Ottoman wall in the southern part of Old City’s western wall, extends across an area of approximately 8 dunams. Within the precincts of the garden are remains of walls from different periods, all of which followed the same route for many years, as well as lawns and paths. Many residents and groups of school children regularly use the garden as a gathering place. Despite this, no seating facilities or signage were ever installed there and over the years the garden was neglected and constituted a safety hazard to those who visited it.
Having identified the potential for upgrading the garden the Israel Antiquities Authority initiated a conservation and rehabilitation project, supported by the Jerusalem Development Authority and the Jerusalem Foundation. The purpose of the work was to expand the possibilities of its public use and develop it as an archaeological garden primarily for the groups of children and young people who gather there while visiting the city.
Along the line of the wall that borders on the garden (‘The Armenian Wall’) one can clearly identify seven different periods of the city wall: the Hasmonean wall, Herodian, Byzantine, Fatimid, Crusader, Ayyubid and Ottoman. In addition, there are tombs located there that date to the First Temple period and a large industrial building that also dates to the same period. The site was excavated in the 1970s by archaeologist Magen Broshi and was later converted to a municipal park with funding provided by the Jewish National Fund of Canada.
In the first stage the conservation measures included removing the vegetation that took root there and spraying the area with an herbicide. The ancient remains were treated: the tops of the walls were stabilized and sealed, missing stonework was replaced and the stone joints were re-pointed with mortar. During the course of the conservation intervention we were careful to distinguish between the different periods in the wall. This was done by matching the shades and texture of the new mortar with that of the original existing mortar.
The development measures were entrusted to a multi-disciplinary team of professionals that encompassed the design aspects of all of the garden’s components[1] The aim of the planning was to reinforce the existing values of the place and supplement them with elements that will enrich the visitor’s experience to the garden. The work was focused on the garden’s main promenade (the Past-Present Promenade) and on the antiquities path that runs between the remains alongside the city wall. .
The garden is reached by way of two entrances located in the north and south where there are signs that explain about the garden and its components.
Four shaded stations were integrated in the garden’s promenade, where the periods of the city and how they are manifested in the wall are presented. Benches and park furniture specifically designed for the place were installed in the shade stations. Two observation points that look out over the New City were also established along the promenade. Lighting fixtures, a hand rail and a guardrail were incorporated along the antiquities path and explanatory signage that describes the remains was installed.
The planning team made every effort to develop and maintain a uniform style in the garden’s elements: the signage, benches, refuse cans and barrier pillars. The design style is both minimalist and airy and therefore it does not overshadow the garden landscape and its historical components.
Considerable thought was invested in the garden’s signage so as to simplify, as much as possible, the historical complexity for the visitors. A time line standing two and one half meters high presents the chronological sequence of Jerusalem and briefly explains the main events in each period. Each period on the sign is represented by a distinctive color and a characteristic figure that aid in identifying the period further down the path. The signage in the shade stations is dedicated to the different periods that are visible in the garden and in the center of each sign is a graphic illustration of the adjacent area.
The garden was inaugurated on October 29, 2012, in the presence of Mayor Nir Barkat, and the Israel Antiquities Authority director, Mr. Shuka Dorfman. An impressive number of visitors frequent the garden daily.
This garden is an example of an urban archaeological garden that answers the diverse needs of the visitors.
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[1] The planning was directed by the Conservation Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Planning: Arch. Avi Mashiah, Arch. Ido Rosenthal, Ing.-Arch. Yuval Avraham; Design of signage and garden furniture: Avidani Studio; Curatorship: Galit Litani; Illustation: Noʽam Nadav.
Avi Mashiah
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June 2013
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To view the figures, click on the figure caption
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