The Bird’s Head Birdwatching Ornithological center was established in 2019 in Yehoshua Gardens Park. It is a project that brings together the intensity of the Tel Aviv metropolis area and a unique urban nature site. The project is located in the Ganei Yehoshua park in the heart of Tel Aviv, at the junction of the Ayalon and Yarkon rivers, situated within a large urban nature site, which combines the values of nature, history and archeology, environmental education, leisure, and sports.
In an area of 8 acres, where a birding center used to flow, the Musrara river flowed, an ecological complex was established, which re-creates a man-made ecosystem belonging to the area.
Diverse plant systems, humid and terrestrial habitats, bodies of water of any scale and variable character harmoniously compose the site.
Architectural planning, unique to the place, connects the modern and cultural human beings with natural landscape units, the living and plant world.
A modern planning and design approach which does not mask the human presence, creating quality spaces with a unique character. The simplicity and clarity of a space together with the choice of basic materials, such as Peda concrete and wood, easily connect to a nature site. Careful hiding structures were designed as climatic structures, with calculations of shading, air flow, light, and shadow balance.
A variety of views and landscapes, paths and places, a balance between visiting areas and introverted habitats combine for a unique visiting experience.
The project is the result of a challenging collaboration between Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel) , the Society for the Protection of Nature, Tel Aviv Municipality, Yehoshua Gardens Park.
Its establishment was accompanied by the formulation of a visiting and operating program that considers the possibility of an intensive visit by several large groups at the same time, without harming the quiet and intimate experience of the place.
The site balances the visitor’s experience with the creation of habitat areas inaccessible to humans. The planning allows for a varied nature of visits, individual, group and guided visit, prolonged observation activity with capture and drowning, research activity and night tours.
Significant biological diversity is a living laboratory for landscape restoration processes. Over 400 species of local vegetation were planted in the project with the aim of creating spaces with authentic biological wealth and being an example of ecological restoration for other spaces in Yarkon Park as well.
The Bird’s Head Ornithological Center was integrated as an important link in the environmental education system in Central Tel Aviv area.
Architecture offices involved in the design: Chief designer: Sarig-Vaxman Landscape Architecture Ltd
Ecologist: Uri Moran
Water planner: Lavia-Natif Engineers
Constructor: Ron Mashulmi
Photo: Dor Nevo, Yoav Peleg, Suzanne Yosef, Lev Vaxman
Location: Yehoshua park – Tel Aviv
Design year: 2014-2019.
Year Completed:2019
