Beit Hadar POP-UP Market- Transforming the empty parking lot into a multi-theme event platform
“Beit Hadar” is a two-floor parking lot with a capacity for 585 cars. The 6.5 acres parking lot is owned by Tel Aviv’s Municipality and is located in the very heart of the city center, in a strategic area colliding three culturally diverse Tel Avivian quarters: Lev Hair, Levontin, and Neve Sha'anan.
On weekdays, it serves thousands of visitors from all over the metropolitan area arriving every day by car. At night and during weekends, when office towers finish their day’s work, the second floor of the parking lot is completely vacant. This platform of 6.5 acres in the city center remains unused and abandoned for over 48 continuous hours. During times of Covid restrictions, the lot has been empty for weeks. Neighbors, including myself, “discovered” this unique urban opportunity and the tremendous possibilities it holds. On weekends, for the last few months, you could find parents teaching their kids to ride their bikes, dog owners playing with their pets, and sport-lovers using the space as an open gym.
What if, during weekends, we convert Beit Hadar’s second-floor parking lot into a two-day POP-UP market and open platform for community events?During the pandemic, we all embraced new hobbies. This POP-UP market is an opportunity to make room for all our new hobbies, especially since most don't justify daily or week-long events.
For example, in my vision, this open-air marketplace can serve as a monthly Bicycle Market.
With the increasing number of bikers in Tel Aviv and all around the world, my proposal includes a new and second-hand bicycle market along with bike workshops, a pop-up garage, and a children's area for learning to ride safely. One month later, the lot could turn into a Plant Market, with a Pop-up plant nursery, workshops, and many more. Beit Hadar Parking Lot is the perfect platform for many other cultural ideas: POP-UP sport playground, open-air cinema, etc. During wintertime or in the middle of a heatwave, all events can relocate to the ground floor, protecting visitors from the weather and offering new types of spatial opportunities.
