The Shelter-Less

The lack of public and private protective infrastructure in Arab communities creates a reality of societal vulnerability and existential anxiety. The political and social reality leaves the urban cores of these communities exposed and vulnerable, with life conducted under a constant threat that lacks an adequate spatial response. At the same time, these communities suffer from a significant shortage of open public spaces, especially in their centers. From this reality, where two spatial failures appear intertwined, the question arises of how civil defense infrastructure added to urban cores can serve as a tool for urban development and strengthen social connections.                                                                                          

The architectural stance proposed here seeks to transform this challenge into a basis for development. The project site, Majd al-Krum, serves as a case study of the unique challenges faced by similar communities, which suffer from a lack of protected public buildings and a damaged sense of existential security among residents. The fundamental architectural action in the community is the organization of space along the two main boulevards, creating a new linear and sculptural infrastructure that serves as an urban skeleton, embodying security, belonging, and community life simultaneously.

This architectural intervention operates on two complementary layers. The upper layer, consisting of structures situated along the main thoroughfares, creates a psychological and physical cover that redefines the street walls as contained and protected spaces. Concurrently, through strategic openings in the ground that also serve as active passages between the two sides of the street, access is created to a new, subterranean urban layer. This layer integrates protection with public functions: community and educational institutions, commercial spaces, employment centers, and even temporary housing units.