Urban Canvas

Graffiti Museum
Project Overview
I made this project in my third year studying architecture in the Technion. Inspired by the vast amounts of graffiti in the neighborhood, I wanted to give them a place to be in the spotlight, a sort of shrine, as well as a place to come and learn and take cool photos.

This studio was all about planning museums, but other than that the brief was very open to interpretation. It demanded we ask the questions: why do we have museums? What is their purpose? What belongs in a museum? What functions can they provide to their surrounding areas?
Under the tutelage of Maoz Alon, here are my answers.
Located in downtown Haifa, the graffiti museum ‘Urban Canvas’ is dedicated the the art of graffiti, which is abundant in the area and pictured below. It aims to provide a haven for street art for the purposes of exposure, education and encouragement. While on the inside work commissioned from respected artists are displayed, the outside exposed concrete façade encourages the public to take part in contributing to this urban canvas.
The interior features display rooms, a media room/cinema, a coffee shop and an art supply shop that doubles as the gift shop. It’s a colorful and exciting environment that provides a fun space for photo shoots and conversation.
Outside, between the museum building and the office building next door a small, linear park is available to the public. It is shaded by the slanting wall of the museum and has groves in the ground with wide stone shelves for people to sit on. A Corten pathway cuts through the museum and people inside and outside can see each other from time to time, connecting the inside with the outside. The design of the building is inspired by the shape of folded paper, symbolizing that it is a surface meant to be drawn on.
Historical studio
3rd year
Jun 2021

Photos of street art taken in the area.

On the left is depicted the thought process behind the shape of the building and the ramp. On the right are the floor plans. The bottom floor houses the coffee shop, gift shop and entrance lobby. The next 2 floors are display spaces with the top floor dedicated to working space for artists.

A section cutting through the media and lecture hall as well as one of the inner gardens.

A section cutting through the the main staircase as well as one of the inner gardens.

The shape of the building allows the users to experience the natural landscape of the surrounding area without disturbing the graveyard grounds beneath.

The outside is an inseparable part of the experience inside.

The whole gallery is a transitional space, taking inspiration from where graffiti is typically found.

The outside gardens are shaded by the building's angle and invite spending more time outside.

View from the street on to the coffee shop and passage to the next street over.