Making the world a better place
Jewish ethics of responsibility in the thought and work of Architect Moshe Safdie.
Renowned architect Moshe Safdie who was born in Haifa in 1938, moved to Montreal Canada at the age of fifteen. He studied architecture at Mcgill University, became world famous for his revolutionary housing project – ‘Habitat 67″ at the World Fair in Montreal, appeared on the cover of Newsweek magazine at 29.
Best known in Israel for the Mamilla Mall tying West Jerusalem to the Old City’s Jaffa Gate, the Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum and the city of Modiin, Safdie is a global architect who has built in the United States, Canada, India and Singapore.
One of architecture’s most respected elder statesmen he is a severe critic of today’s Israeli architecture, especially in Jerusalem.
In his words: “Historic cities derive their power from a cohesive sense of collective identity where individual buildings subordinate themselves to public squares – streets and crescents. Historic cities treat pathways and plazas as the primary living room of the community, have continuity and respect for context, achieve density without losing human scale.”
“Modern urban planning has lost this unity replacing communal integration with isolated, ego-driven sculptural objects resulting in Standalone Monuments and loss of the public realm.”
“Contemporary architecture must respect the spirit of the place without copying past styles by respect for topography, human scale and public connectivity. Modern disjointed high-rises that ignore historical context fail to create communal public squares and shared civic spaces.”
“Integration with the landscape instead of overpowering it, treating every project as if it was naturally part of its environment.”
On the role of architects in society: “A profound social force for good. Buildings must serve human dignity, foster community life and integrate naturally with local geography and culture rather than exist merely as standalone artistic sculptures.” Serve humanity, humanize density, fit (appropriately), shape the public realm.”
A Jewish architecture would have to be based on Jewish ethics. Safdie’s work is just that. Social and contextual responsibility. Designing buildings that last as an obligation to future generations, his architecture is based on the ethics of responsibility. Tikkun Olam.
If only there were more architects of his stature.
Gerard Heumann – Architect and Urban Designer, Jerusalem
