Letters Hill Park Ramat Bet Shemesh C1, Bet Shemesh, 2018

Givat Ha’otiyot, the Letters Hill Park, is situated in Ramat Beit Shemesh, a Jewish Orthodox neighborhood in the Judean hills west of Jerusalem.

The park’s design was inspired by the layout of a Gemara page, a religious Jewish commentary: at its heart is the preserved ecological habitat, surrounded by a paved trail that both protects and makes the area accessible for an unmediated experience of nature. The playgrounds and main gathering spaces are located on the exterior of the exceptionally wide trail on which riddles and encoded texts are engraved. By incorporating elements derived from the Jewish religious and cultural heritage, we were able to meaningfully engage members of the community in the unfolding story of the environment.