Israeli architect Ben Gitai on memory, sustainability, and the politics of building in contested lands

Ben Gitai (born 1985, Paris) is a young Israeli architect whose practice engages with historical memory, cultural context, and environmental sustainability in one of the world's most geopolitically fraught regions. His work, which he describes as lying at the boundary of landscape and architecture, emphasizes ecological design and local craftsmanship. Key projects include Jaffa Roofhouse, Earth Memorial, and The Landroom Observatory, a structure in the Negev Desert that dialogues with the Ramon Crater. Gitai argues that architecture is inherently political and that design must extend beyond the object to the territory. He opposes new Israeli settlements in the West Bank, calling them a moral and ethical mistake, and ensures all his Israeli projects are built within the Green Line. His Museum of Coexistence, planned for the Jordan Valley on the Israel–Jordan border, aims to serve as a bridge between cultures and a site of memory, recalling periods of peaceful cooperation. The COVID-19 pandemic, he says, has radically affected architecture by rendering traditional spatial demarcations obsolete, and he advocates for a 'capsule' concept of enclosed, interacting spaces. Gitai hopes his buildings will pose questions rather than provide answers, helping Israeli society connect past echoes with an innovative future.