Designed by architect Eli Gotman, the proposal for the “Yad Labanim” (“A Memorial to the Sons”) is dedicated to commemorating the fallen soldiers in Israel’s wars and helping the bereaved families. The Yad Labanim building in Ramat Yishay, is in itself a monument, which begins with the wall buried in the ground carrying the names of the fallen perforated in it, continues to emerge out of the ground as a building, and ending as an illuminated library hovering over the square. More images and Gotman’s description after the break.
Many cities and towns in Israel have a “Beit Yad Labanim”, a memorial building, which also serves as a small community center and houses various activities on different occasions. Every now and then, a new building is erected, usually in honor of its town’s own fallen soldiers. The town of Ramat Ishay together with the “Yad Labanim” organization decided to hold an open competition for architects under the age of 40, for the design of the new Yad Labanim building. The total building area was to be 500 sqm in maximum 2 floors, on a lot sized approximately 2,300 sqm. The program of the project included a main memorial hall, 3 activity rooms (not specified) a library, a small ceremony square, and the accompanying facilities like bathrooms, kitchen, etc’.
