Negev Monument Name:Wu Tong Student ID:961756 T he project was designed by Dani Karavan and built in 1968 to commemorate 324 members of the Palmach Negev Brigade who fell defending Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The memorial is a complex composed of abstract concrete building structures, distributed in the desert landscape of 100 x 100 meters on the outskirts of Be'er Sheva. 01 02 Composition Design F rom the morphological point of view, I believe that Dani Karavan's creative style has been influenced by 20th-century abstraction and constructivism. Despite the project's vast footprint, Karavan reduced the structures to geometric lines, whether they symbolized tents, pipes, or lighthouses and bridges. These elements are cut in half, pierced, twisted, and tilted, making the project look like a constructivist abstract painting. To some extent, this project is an early earth art work. Composition VIII,Wassily Kandinsky 03 04 Composition Design F rom the city's point of view, the monument is located on top of the hillside with a vast desert in the background, which creates the focus of sight. A t t h e s a m e t i m e, t h e towe ri n g lighthouse forms a good level contrast with other structures. Various lines on the outer surface of the structure are constantly intertwined on the facade. The curved shape of the concrete edge forms a tangent relationship with the curvature of the hill, which is very interesting from a distance. 05 06 Composition Design V isitors walk into the site and see various geometric c o m p o s i t i o n re l a t i o n s h i p s. There is no specific route in the site. The dimensions and compositions of the monument c re a te a n i n ex h a u s t i b l e space and an ever-changing ex p e ri e n c e, p rov i d i n g countless viewing angles and c o m b i n a t i o n s a t a ny g i ve n moment. 07 08 Emotional Experience T he memorial is not only a sculpture art, but a public place where visitors can participate. Vi s i to rs d o n’ t j u s t s ta n d o n the side and admire, but can are invited to experience the war. The current composition design maintains a dialectical relationship between concrete structures. On the one hand, they provide a place for visitors to climb, play, and take photos. On the other hand, we cannot ignore the disturbing apprehensiveness. As visitors walk in the site, they may feel strongly that there is a deterrent of the authoritative power in almost every structural element of the monument. In this experience, intimacy and belonging alternate with anxiety and fear. In my opinion,this kind of unstable emotional experience will inspire people, and the anxiety and fear of war will deepen people's affirmation of peace. 09 10 Emotional Experience K aravan incorporates sunlight and the whistling wind into the environment. As time passed, the walls inside the spherical concrete structures were no longer as smooth as before.The monotonous concrete wall was broken due to long-term wind and sunlight. As a result, traces of radioactivity appeared on the wall near the holes, which looked like war marks left by ammunition entering the tent or tower. When the sunlight penetrated through the holes, the site seemed to have traveled through time and space, and returned to the war period.Also the soldiers' names and diaries on the wall deepened the dignity of the site. Concrete elements, visitors, and artistic texts have a complex interrelationship between them. This relationship allows the viewers to be exposed to the political dimension taking place through physical experience. As the elapse of time, Nature's destruction of the site will strengthen the emotional experience of the people, which is a very interesting thing. I think that this is the most elaborate design part of the whole project. 11 12 Emotional Experience T h e re a re l i n e a r ga p s ever ywhere in the site. The light penetrates through the tiny gaps, adding a sense of hope and belonging to the solemn atmosphere of the entire site. For example, the circular tent structure is divided into two by a crack,which reminds me of the myths about the origin of the world in China. The world was originally a dark circle. It was split by the giant Pangu to have heaven and earth,then the shine into the world. 13 T here are also regular distribution of cracks in the concrete tunnel, and the linear layout has a strong guiding effect and points the way forward for people. In contrast to the strong sense of solemnity given by the interior space, the cracks of light represent light and hope, and the passage of time can be felt here. In expressing the contrast between light and darkness, it can trigger the resonance between people and the site: the dark war belongs to the past, and the light of peace will eventually come. I'm not sure how much influence this design method has had on later later designers, but I saw the same application of this method in the later Church of the Light. 14 T his project also has some small details that are worth improving. First of all, some gaps between concrete structures are too narrow for people to enter or have no proper viewing angle. In addition, the project is far away from the urban area. Considering the hot climate of the desert and the difficulty for viewers to climb mountains, I think the recreation space can be increased appropriately . To sum up, karavan creates rich visual and emotional experience with minimal formal language.I like this landscape project so much.He is a very outstanding landscape architect and artist. 15 16 The End Thanks for your attention and time !
