Qalandiya Restoration: Urban Regeneration in Palestine 2026

The Historic Qalandiya Center received the Grand Award at the Holcim Foundation Awards 2025. It was one of twenty winning projects. The jury recognized its incremental conservation approach and its reconnection of public spaces in Qalandiya village north of Jerusalem. The project addresses a historic rural core long affected by political fragmentation, urban neglect, and spatial disconnection. It maintains public access and community function within a framework of contemporary architectural design.

A woman and child walk along a stone-paved path flanked by native plants and low stone walls in Qalandiya’s restored public garden, with mature trees overhead. — Visitors stroll through the newly landscaped public garden at the Historic Qalandiya Center, where pathways of local stone integrate with native flora and existing trees to create shaded, accessible circulation. (Image © Local Community Project Team)

Urban Framework Based on Incremental Restoration

The project uses a gradual restoration strategy. It reinterprets the existing fabric instead of replacing it. Teams employed traditional construction techniques, local stone, and original building materials. This approach reflects principles of sustainability. It shows how conservation can serve daily use. The method also enriches research on historic buildings and the built environment.

A stone-paved pathway leads through a restored courtyard in Qalandiya, flanked by dry-stacked walls and historic masonry structures under a blue sky. — The Historic Qalandiya Center’s courtyard integrates original stone masonry with new concrete pavers, creating accessible circulation while preserving the site’s layered material history. (Image © Local Community Project Team)

Community Engagement and Public Function Restoration

Residents participated in research and implementation phases. They helped define post restoration uses. This process reintegrated the Historic Qalandiya restoration Center into everyday life. Teams converted abandoned structures into youth spaces and women’s centers. These changes reinforce the role of cities in fostering social cohesion. They also enrich cultural events in public areas.

Local Economy and Knowledge Transfer

The project generated over 13,800 artisan workdays. Local labor filled most positions. This linked construction to the transmission of traditional restoration skills. The initiative now appears in the global archive of sustainable projects. Rental revenues fund maintenance and community programming. This ties interior design to social utility.

Aerial view of the Historic Qalandiya Center, showing restored stone structures integrated with gardens, pathways, and public terraces under a clear sky. — An aerial perspective reveals the layered spatial organization of the Historic Qalandiya Center, where historic masonry coexists with new pedestrian routes and green spaces to foster community interaction. (Image © Local Community Project Team)

Archaeological Layers and Spatial Narrative

Fieldwork revealed older archaeological strata. These date to Byzantine or Hellenistic periods. Teams uncovered church remains and mosaic fragments. These findings enhance architectural research. They also support ongoing documentation of Palestinian heritage in historic buildings.

Architecture as a Tool for Reconnection

The separation barrier caused spatial division. In response, the Historic Qalandiya restoration Center acts as a meeting point. It connects villages north and west of Jerusalem. Cultural programming and public pathways redefine place-people relationships. This aligns with concepts of architectural design and adaptive reuse.

Children and adults gather under a tree on colorful blankets in Qalandiya’s public garden, with the separation barrier visible in the background. — A community gathering takes place in the restored public space of the Historic Qalandiya Center, where residents use shaded areas for informal education and social interaction. (Image © Local Community Project Team)

Materials and the Built Environment

The project uses locally quarried stone. It also repurposes materials from demolished structures. Teams minimized concrete to ensure wall breathability. This practice highlights the environmental value of traditional building materials. It keeps the Historic Qalandiya Center both authentic and resilient.

Architectural Snapshot
Incremental restoration reconnects place with social function without divorcing history from daily use.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The Historic Qalandiya restoration Center is the logical outcome of long-standing political fragmentation + incremental institutional restoration policies + economic reliance on local labor and sustainable materials. Labor structures prioritized community participation, generating repeated artisan engagement and skill transmission. Regulatory frameworks ensured public access and adaptive reuse, constraining demolition and replacement strategies. Economic pressures CAPEX efficiency and long-term maintenance funding drove phased construction and material repurposing. Cultural priorities emphasized continuity of public function and social cohesion. These combined forces produced an architectural outcome where incremental restoration reconnects historic fabric to daily life, integrates archaeological layers, and reinforces public pathways, without divorcing the site from its social and communal role.