Akka | A City Between Roots and Transformation

The Old City of Acre is a layered historic city where cultures, rulers, and spatial systems have intertwined over centuries – from the Phoenician period, through the Crusader and Ottoman eras, to the British Mandate and the modern state. Processes of modernization, globalization, and tourism have transformed Acre from a living community into a touristic product – a “museum city” – leading to exclusion, instability, and harm to the rights and everyday lives of its Arab residents. Acre’s history shows that preservation is not only about conserving stone, but also a political and economic tool that has often disconnected the community from its homes.
This project proposes a different reading of the city: a new, dynamic, and lightweight spatial system that narrates Acre as a living, renewing place. The system places local homes at the center of the urban fabric, connecting them through the existing courtyards, alleys, and squares. These connections create an organic network that returns residents to the heart of the city, strengthening their sense of belonging and amplifying their presence within the historic environment.
The system generates flexible connections: sometimes lightly touching buildings, sometimes adding new spaces. More than a structural layer, it acts as an infrastructure of support — providing water, electricity, communication, and greywater reuse — while intervening minimally with historic walls. It strengthens the local family economy, enabling residents to become active partners in shaping the city’s continuity rather than passive tenants.
On the ground floor, courtyards foster economic and social life through small businesses and local initiatives that empower the Arab community. Strengthening the community means strengthening Acre itself — preserving its authentic character through the lives of its residents. At the same time, the upper floors open to visitors through the vision “A Home in Every Home – بيت بكل بيت”, providing income for residents and authentic encounters for tourists.
The project focuses on Abud Square and Suleiman Basha Street as sites of intervention but understands them as links in a broader urban chain driving community and economic empowerment across the city.
Research Question:
How can architecture create a new spatial framework in the Old City of Acre that supports tourism, strengthens the local Arab community, and preserves the city’s historic and cultural character?