a pink staircase reorients this historic hospital in jerusalem to face the east

hansen house is a historic hospital, established in jerusalem in 1887, that cared for people with leprosy. this year, for the 8th edition of jerusalem design week, hansen house has becomes a cultural center. the structure, naturally, has strict preservation regulations, so a visually striking installation wasn’t easy to design. tel aviv-based HQ architects accepted the challenge, ultimately placing a pink staircase on scaffolding around the structure in a functional installation piece they call ’90 degrees’.

all images by dor kedmi

’90 degrees’ by HQ architects responds to the curatorial theme of this year’s jerusalem design week, EAST, while delicately preserving hansen house’s historic context. the building is oriented from south to north, creating a complex circulation between the interior spaces — while the spatial needs of the exhibitions are perpendicular. ’90 degrees’ takes viewers on a path through the sequence of exhibitions and displays. the large scale installation shifts the building’s orientation, as visitors follow the bright steps around the site.

the installation comprises a diagonal scaffolding system that climbs the building from west to east, ground level to roof and beyond, as it rotates the orientation 90 degrees — gently forcing the visitors to face the east. the steps form a physical platform approximately 14 meters high. the elevated space links the old and the new, and suggests an alternative journey through hansen house, while offering views beyond the building and exhibitions. 

project info:

design: HQ architects
HQ architects project team: erez ella, founding partner; matan sapir, partner; ranny shor, project architect; isam qaymari, architect; raz rozkin, architect
for: jerusalem design week