The task was to create an accessible route to the Western Wall plaza without diminishing the traditional experience of approaching the site through the Old City’s narrow alleys – a slow journey that serves as a spiritual preparation.

Our design grew from a guiding question: How can a spiritual ascent be experienced through a physical descent?
The answer lies in transformation, expressed through the interplay of stone and light. The use of local Jerusalem stone roots the visitor in history and place, while dynamic lighting and symbolic metals – steel for strength, copper for warmth and humanity, and gold for purity and transcendence – create a layered journey of meaning.

The spatial sequence is conceived as a gradual transition: from the noise and intensity of the city above, through spaces of increasing quiet and reflection, culminating in an atmosphere of reverence and stillness. The physical act of descending thus becomes a metaphorical ascent – each step downward is simultaneously a step upward in inner awareness.

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