Shlomo Aronson
Encyclopedia
Shlomo Aronson (Hebrew: שלמה אהרונסון) is an Israel
i landscape architect
. His works range from master plans for reforestation, archaeological parks and freeway planting schemes to urban plazas.
, Israel. Aronson moved to the United States
to study landscape architecture
as an undergraduate student and received his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1963. He went on to study at the Harvard Graduate School of Design
where he received his Master of Landscape Architecture
in 1966.
Aronson lives and works in Ein Kerem
, Jerusalem.
Prior to receiving his masters degree, Aronson worked in Lawrence Halprin
’s office in San Francisco, California
from 1963-1965. The field of landscape architecture was developing at this time to include large scale projects that incorporated transportation and community planning. In his foreword to “Making Peace with the Land,” Halprin recognized Aronson’s desire to work on larger scale projects and his interest in their “social context and the impact they world have on society.”
Aronson was part of The Architects' Collaborative
in Cambridge
Massachusetts
in 1966 and The Greater London Council
, Architecture Department from 1966-67. Aronson joined the Jerusalem City Engineer’s Department in 1968.
In 1969, Aronson become the owner and director of Shlomo Aronson and Associates, a multi-disciplinary office that includes landscape architects, architects, and urban planner
s in Jerusalem. Aronson was also the Chairman of the Israel Associates of Landscape Architects from 1991 to 1998.
Another characteristic of Aronson’s work is selection of plants that hark back to agricultural and religious traditions. According to Peter Jacobs, “the form and materials of Aronson’s projects are derived from a careful reading of the natural and cultural history of the landscape, an understanding of the urban place as much as the rural countryside.”
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i landscape architect
Landscape architect
A landscape architect is a person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space. The professional practice is known as landscape architecture....
. His works range from master plans for reforestation, archaeological parks and freeway planting schemes to urban plazas.
Biography
Shlomo Aronson was born in HaifaHaifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Israel. Aronson moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to study landscape architecture
Landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
as an undergraduate student and received his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1963. He went on to study at the Harvard Graduate School of Design
Harvard Graduate School of Design
The Harvard Graduate School of Design is a graduate school at Harvard University offering degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning and Design.-History:...
where he received his Master of Landscape Architecture
Master of Landscape Architecture
The Master of Landscape Architecture is a professional and academic degree dealing with the manipulation of outdoor and public spaces to achieve socio-behavioural, environmental, and/or aesthetic outcomes.-Curriculum and Requirements:...
in 1966.
Aronson lives and works in Ein Kerem
Ein Kerem
Ein Kerem , lit. “Spring of the Vineyard”, and - ‘Ein Kārem), is an ancient village of the Jerusalem District and now a neighbourhood in southwest of Jerusalem. According to Christian tradition, John the Baptist was born in Ein Kerem, leading to the establishment of many churches and monasteries....
, Jerusalem.
Academic career
Aronson has taught at a number of academic institutions:- Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem, Department of Architecture 1979 - 1985, 1992.
- Harvard Graduate School of Design, Urban Design Department, Guest Critic, Spring 1981, Spring 1982, Fall 1997.
- Harvard Graduate School of Design, Landscape Architecture Department, Visiting Professor, Fall 1985, Spring 1988, Fall 1997.
- Hebrew University of JerusalemHebrew University of JerusalemThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
, The Institute of Urban and Regional Studies, 2000-2001. - Guest lecturer in various American, Canadian, Italian, German, Indian, Russian and South African Universities.
Architectural career
Lawrence Halprin
Lawrence Halprin was an influential American landscape architect, designer and teacher.Beginning his career in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, in 1949, Halprin often collaborated with a local circle of modernist architects on relatively modest projects. These figures included William...
’s office in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
from 1963-1965. The field of landscape architecture was developing at this time to include large scale projects that incorporated transportation and community planning. In his foreword to “Making Peace with the Land,” Halprin recognized Aronson’s desire to work on larger scale projects and his interest in their “social context and the impact they world have on society.”
Aronson was part of The Architects' Collaborative
The Architects' Collaborative
The Architects' Collaborative was an American architectural firm formed by Walter Gropius and seven younger architects in 1945 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The other partners were Norman C. Fletcher , Jean B. Fletcher , John C. Harkness , Sarah P. Harkness , Robert S...
in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 1966 and The Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
, Architecture Department from 1966-67. Aronson joined the Jerusalem City Engineer’s Department in 1968.
In 1969, Aronson become the owner and director of Shlomo Aronson and Associates, a multi-disciplinary office that includes landscape architects, architects, and urban planner
Urban planner
An urban planner or city planner is a professional who works in the field of urban planning/land use planning for the purpose of optimizing the effectiveness of a community's land use and infrastructure. They formulate plans for the development and management of urban and suburban areas, typically...
s in Jerusalem. Aronson was also the Chairman of the Israel Associates of Landscape Architects from 1991 to 1998.
Design Philosophy
Aronson’s work is characterized by its attention to moral and historical issues of place and culture. His designs recognize both cultural and environmental relationships at the scale of the region and the site. Aronson incorporates a modern aesthetic into an ancient landscape. Lawrence Halprin, Aronson’s former employer and mentor, remarks that “In many ways [Aronson’s] attitudes and his process have transcended questions of detailed design. I believe his work must be judged on a far larger basis-that of concept, basic philosophy, and the significant role that landscape architecture can play in determining the character and quality, not only of Israel, but also of our world and of the future.”Another characteristic of Aronson’s work is selection of plants that hark back to agricultural and religious traditions. According to Peter Jacobs, “the form and materials of Aronson’s projects are derived from a careful reading of the natural and cultural history of the landscape, an understanding of the urban place as much as the rural countryside.”
Landscape Planning
- Landscape master plan for the city of Eilat
- Landscape master plan for the city of Carmiel
- Landscape master plan for the city of NazarethNazarethNazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
- Landscape master plan for the city of Hod HaSharonHod HaSharonHod HaSharon is a city in the Center District of Israel.Officially declared a city in 1990, Hod HaSharon was created from the union in 1964 of four neighboring villages: Magdiel, Ramatayim, Hadar, and Ramat Hadar...
- The Lowest Park on Earth Dead SeaDead SeaThe Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
- Master plan for the Yatir ForestYatir ForestYatir Forest is a forest in Israel, located on the southern slopes of Mount Hebron, on the edge of the Negev Desert. The forest covers an area of 30,000 dunams , and is the largest planted forest in Israel.-History:...
- Landscape consultant for the residential extension of Beer Sheva, which will contain 25,000 housing units
- Master plan for Jerusalem's green belt
- Beit Govrin National park
- Hof Hasharon National park
- Rehabilitation plan for the 3000 acres (12.1 km²) "Burnt Forest" on the western approach to Jerusalem.
Archaeological parks
- Archaeological park around the southern wallSouthern WallThe Southern Wall is a wall at the southern end of the Temple Mount and the former southern side of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. It was built during King Herod's expansion of the Temple Mount platform southward on to the Ophel.-Construction:...
of the Old City (Jerusalem), preservation of antiquities, landscaping, roads and parking areas - Kidron ValleyKidron ValleyThe Kidron Valley is the valley on the eastern side of The Old City of Jerusalem which features significantly in the Bible...
- Yad AvshalomYad AvshalomTomb of Absalom , also called Absalom's Pillar, is an ancient monumental rock-cut tomb with a conical roof located in the Kidron Valley in Jerusalem, Israel...
, Jerusalem’s "Biblical Park” - Beit GuvrinBeit GuvrinBeit Guvrin may refer to:* The ancient city of Maresha, now an archaeological museum, in Israel* The adjacent Roman and Byzantine city of Eleutheropolis, referred to as Beit Guvrin in Jewish scripture.* Beit Guvrin, Israel, a Kibbutz founded in 1949....
, archaeological national park - Caesarea- Hippodrome area, the Old Port and the Old City
National and regional planning
- National master plan of afforestation (with Motti Kaplan and Ilan Beeri)
- Master plan for the Judean Hills region
- NegevNegevThe Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
tourist development plan - Modi'in regional master plan
- Master Plan for the entire country (one of five authors), in charge of open spaces and physical appearance
Urban planning
- Mevasseret Zion, a new suburban township (Jerusalem area), 4000 housing units
- Master plan for Jerusalem southwest
- New town near Beit Shemesh, 40,000 housing units, joint venture with architect David Reznik
- Lavon, an industrial, educational and residential complex
- Caesarea Bay, layout of four residential neighborhoods
- Beit Shemesh, new neighborhood, 2500 housing units, (with Yair Avigdor)
Architecture
- CardoCardoThe cardo was a north-south oriented street in Roman cities, military camps, and coloniae. The cardo, an integral component of city planning, was lined with shops and vendors, and served as a hub of economic life. The main cardo was called cardo maximus.Most Roman cities also had a Decumanus...
market and residential area in the Jewish Quarter - Nes HarimNes HarimNes Harim is a moshav in Israel, eight kilometers from Jerusalem. Located in the Judean foothills near Beit Shemesh, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council...
swimming pool and restaurant complex in Judean Hills - TalpiotTalpiotTalpiot , is a neighborhood in southeast Jerusalem, Israel, established in 1922 by Zionist pioneers.-Etymology:The name Talpiot derives from a verse in Song of Songs 4:4 – "Thy neck is like the tower of David, built with turrets." According to rabbinic sources, Talpiot refers to the Temple...
center, 200 residential units plus 20 shops in Jerusalem - Thirty-seven town houses in Mevaseret Zion
- Orchidea Hotel, Eilat
- Restaurant in the Jerusalem Hass Promenade with Lawrence HalprinLawrence HalprinLawrence Halprin was an influential American landscape architect, designer and teacher.Beginning his career in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, in 1949, Halprin often collaborated with a local circle of modernist architects on relatively modest projects. These figures included William...
- Restaurant in the Jerusalem Hass Promenade with Kurtis-Groag
Historical Preservation
- Dung Gate and Zion Gate, the Old City, Jerusalem
- Y.M.C.A. forecourt in Jerusalem
- Abu Gosh mosque
- Shaar Hagai inn
Landscape Architecture
- Sherover Promenade, Jerusalem
- Suzanne Dellal Plazas, a series of urban plazas in Neve Zedek, Tel AvivTel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
- Central Plaza of Ben-Gurion University - Kreitman Square
- Central Plaza for the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa
- Central Park for the city of Eilat
- Jerusalem Central Park – Independence Park
- American Independence Park in the Judean Hills
- Landscape architectLandscape architectA landscape architect is a person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space. The professional practice is known as landscape architecture....
for the ancient Roman town of Caesarea - Landscape architectLandscape architectA landscape architect is a person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space. The professional practice is known as landscape architecture....
for the Jewish Quarter, Old City, Jerusalem - Jerusalem Botanical GardensJerusalem Botanical GardensThe Jerusalem Botanical Gardens is located in the neighborhood of Nayot in Jerusalem, on the southeastern edge of the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
- Central Park for the city of Kiryat ShmonaKiryat ShmonaKiryat Shmona is a city located in the North District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley on the Lebanese border. The city was named for the eight people, including Joseph Trumpeldor, who died in 1920 defending Tel Hai....
- Sapir Park in the Negev Desert
- Central Plaza of Tel Aviv UniversityTel Aviv UniversityTel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
- Central Park of GiloGiloGilo is a neighborhood in southern East Jerusalem with a population of 40,000, mostly Jewish. It is one of the five ring neighborhoods of Jerusalem and is built on land in the West Bank that was annexed to Israel in 1980 under the Jerusalem Law. The international community regards it as an...
neighborhood, Jerusalem - Hof HaSharon National Park
- Kishle Park in NazarethNazarethNazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
- Virgin Mary Spring in Nazareth
- Municipality square in HerzliyaHerzliyaHerzliya is a city in the central coast of Israel, at the western part of the Tel Aviv District. It has a population of 87,000 residents. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya covers an area of 26 km²...
- Malha Park, Jerusalem
- Trotner Park, Jerusalem
- Sherman Park Jerusalem
- Modi'in, Valley 17, Central Business District, Industrial zone
- Castel National Park
Transportation and engineering
- Tel Aviv - Jerusalem Highway aka Highway 1 (Israel)Highway 1 (Israel)Highway 1 , is the main highway connecting Tel Aviv with Jerusalem.-History:The section between Latrun and Jerusalem roughly follows an ancient path connecting Jaffa and Jerusalem...
- Road along the Dead SeaDead SeaThe Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
- Landscape consultant for Nature Reserves Authority and Israel Defense Forces for new roads and installations in the Negev Desert
- Landscape architect for road no. 9, Jerusalem
- Landscape architect for the main trunk road of Israel, road no. 6
- Sha'ar Ha-gai interchange, town planning scheme, architecture and landscape architecture
- Ben Shemen interchange
- Kesem interchange
- Landscape architecture for the Central Garden at Ben-Gurion International AirportCentral Garden at Ben-Gurion International AirportThe Ben-Gurion International Airport Garden is a garden outside Terminal 3 of Ben-Gurion International Airport on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel, designed by the architecture firm of Shlomo Aronson.-History:...
- The architecture and landscape design of 18 km conveyor belt from the Dead SeaDead SeaThe Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
to Arad - Landscape architect for the Negev phosphate plant, developing new quarrying methods in Nahal Zin
- Rehabilitation of the used mines in the Small Crater
Work outside Israel
- Iran - Arya Mehr - Iran National Botanical Garden, water fixtures and system, 1975
- Canada - Jerusalem garden and pavilion, Montreal Expo, 1981
- Japan - Osaka Expo, the Israeli Garden. Awards: The Best Prize, Honor Prize and two Gold Medals, 1990
- China - The Israeli Garden. Awards The Silver Medal for design, 1999.
- Italy - La Selva master plan for recreation and tourism, 1200 acres (4.9 km²) site next to Rome, with three pilot projects, 1990–91
- Egypt - Suma Bay master plan and landscape consultant for a 12 square kilometer resort including 19 hotels, 410 villas and an 18 hole golf course complex on the Red SeaRed SeaThe Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, 1992
Awards
- Ben Gurion Airport, Trans-Israel Highway
- 1989 Pfefferman Prize
- 1990 Rechter PrizeRechter PrizeThe Rechter Prize is an Israeli architecture prize awarded bi-annually and intended to "encourage landmark projects of Israeli architecture". It was established in 1962....
- 1990 Gold Medal and Best Design Award, Osaka Expo
- 1991 Represented Israel in the International Biennale in Venice, for Sherover Promenade
- 1991 Beautiful Israel Prize
- 1995 Designer of the Year (with David Resnik) for Mivnim for the master plan of Beit Shemesh
- 1995 Excellence in Communication, Landscape Architectural Magazine
- 1996 Represented Israel in the International Biennale in Venice, for Shaar Hagai Interchange, Nazareth
- 1998 Karavan Prize
- 1998 Architects and Town Planners Award Prize
- 1999 Silver medal for design, KunmingKunming' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, China Expo - 2000 Jerusalem Prize for Architecture
- 2001 Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of California, Berkeley
- 2005 General Design Award of Honor, American Society of Landscape ArchitectsAmerican Society of Landscape ArchitectsThe American Society of Landscape Architects is the national professional association representing landscape architects, with more than 17,000 members in 48 chapters, representing all 50 states, U.S. territories, and 42 countries around the world, plus 68 student chapters...
, for Ben Gurion International Airport, LodLodLod is a city located on the Sharon Plain southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2010, it had a population of 70,000, roughly 75 percent Jewish and 25 percent Arab.The name is derived from the Biblical city of Lod...
, Israel
Published work
- Making Peace with the Land: Designing Israel's Landscape. Washington, D.C: Spacemaker Press, 1998.
- "Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod" Topos: the international review of landscape architecture and urban design 53 (2005): 60-4.
External links
- 1995 ASLA Professional Awards
- Landscape Architects, Town Planners and Architects, Israel. 1/31/2008 http://www.s-aronson.co.il