A. Climatic Adaptation and Desert-Oriented Design

The design adapts the City Hall building to the desert climate through architectural and environmental strategies.
The City Hall building and part of the civic square are covered by a lightweight “floating” roof, creating shade and a microclimate that reduces solar radiation and heat load on the buildings below. This results in improved comfort conditions and reduced air-conditioning demand.
The floating roof eliminates the need for conventional roof waterproofing systems below, including slope formation, drainage, whitening, and ongoing maintenance.

This roof also functions as a “green power station” generating electricity through solar energy by means of photovoltaic panels integrated into its surface.
The roof (building + square) generates approximately ten units of 50 kV each, totaling 500 kV. This production supplies the entire annual electricity consumption of the City Hall building, offsetting consumption costs against annual income through accounting with the national electricity provider.

After 7–8 years, the initial investment in the system and the annual electricity consumption required to operate the City Hall - estimated at approximately 1.8 million NIS -will effectively be fully offset, resulting in virtually free energy.

B. The City Hall as an Urban Landmark

1. The creation of a unique civic building combined with the construction of an adjacent observation tower (subject to Civil Aviation Authority approval regarding height) establishes a strong and central urban landmark.
   The tower is visible from throughout the city, fostering identity, orientation, and a direct emotional connection between residents and visitors. It serves as a navigational reference point and allows panoramic observation, understanding, and interpretation of the city and its components - sea, port, mountains, neighborhoods, hotels, lagoons, and airport.

2. The observation tower also functions as a lighting and control element during large-scale public events and gatherings.

C. The Building’s Relationship to Transportation Axes

1. The creation of a civic square positioned to efficiently channel pedestrian movement from key urban nodes, including the city center, Egged bus station, commercial centers, Rekhter Center, airport, and hotels.

2. The existing roadway (designated to become one-way under the Palm Boulevard plan) is defined through differentiated paving; during events it is closed to traffic and becomes an integral part of the civic square.

3. Vehicular access to City Hall is directed via existing northern routes into the underground parking facility.

D. The Civic Square

1. The civic square and the City Hall entrance lobby function as a single continuous public space, consisting of an open exterior plaza and an enclosed interior lobby (glass-enclosed to allow air-conditioning).

2. The square is “embraced” by the City Hall façade on its northern side. The concave form of this façade faces the main traffic axes and invites users into the building. Entry into the lobby is via a bridge spanning a landscaped channel that introduces natural light and vegetation into the council chamber and conference hall below.

3. Portions of the square are shaded and include a decorative reflecting pool that transforms into a stage during public events. The existing topography is utilized to create natural viewing areas, with stepped seating (tribunes) planned at higher levels to take advantage of elevation differences.

E. Wayfinding and Circulation within the Building

1. A single, clearly defined and protected main entrance axis (highlighted and sheltered by a canopy) leads into the entrance lobby, from which intuitive, frontal orientation directs users to the various municipal wings:
   Administration and Mayor’s Office, Education and Welfare, Finance, and Government Services. Each wing is connected to the lobby by a vertical circulation system (stairs and elevators).

2. Horizontal circulation corridors on all floors connect the various wings and overlook the lobby, the civic square, and the distant landscape.

3. Internal elevators within each wing connect the municipal staff parking levels, enabling direct access to specific departments on different floors.

4. At the rear of the wings are located functions requiring large, representative spaces, such as the offices of the Mayor, City Engineer, City Architect, and department directors.

5. Dedicated staircases lead visitors from the lobby down to the council chamber and conference hall.

6. Commercial functions located in the lobby (including a cafeteria with an outdoor courtyard) provide visual connections to the building’s internal gardens on one side and open toward the civic square on the other. Functions such as a tourist information center and souvenir shops strengthen the connection between City Hall, residents, and visitors.

F. Energy Efficiency

1. Orientation of the building wings toward the northeast to capture prevailing winds for natural cooling and exhaust them toward the opposite direction.

2. Minimizing exposure of external façades to harsh climatic conditions by orienting most façades toward internal courtyards with green gardens, enhancing employee comfort and increasing oxygen and humidity levels. These façades function as “interior façades,” similar in character to internal partitions.
   Window areas are enlarged to maximize natural daylight, supplemented by skylight openings in the upper roof.

3. Use of greywater systems for irrigation of green courtyards and gardens.

4. Use of electrically operated shading systems (powered by “free” solar electricity) with sensors on external façades, dynamically adjusting shading angles according to solar radiation throughout the day.