El Tory Elementary School, Israel

The El Tory school renovation project, located in the Arab Abu Tur neighborhood of Jerusalem, is an excellent example. It brings together the design components for creating learning spaces in innovative models, along with the values of coexistence based on trust, mutual respect, understanding and full cooperation between all parties involved.

As an interior designer specializing in work environments and learning spaces, with a Master’s degree in visual literacy studies in education, leading welcome changes in many schools in Arab society in Israel, designing the learning spaces at El Tory School in the Abu Tur Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem is one of the most exciting projects for me. It is a project that emphasizes the significance of the school’s existence for its students and the strong connection between it and the community that intelligently moves between the preservation of tradition and innovation.

Beyond being simply a place to house students, the school maintains close contact with the community, beyond school hours, and is very necessary in the context of the reality and environment in which the students live. The location of the school’s surrounding areas have been neglected and do not allow for a practical or viable environment for girls to meet. In some cases, it even poses an existential danger. Therefore, it was necessary to address and redesign the public areas of the school, with an emphasis on the entrance in the first phase. This was in order to allow a pleasant, meaningful living space with content and relevance for the students, both as a formal study space during school hours, and as an informal play and leisure space after school hours.