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המרכז המסחרי הישן - בית אשת"ם
The Old Commercial Center – Beit Eshtam
The renovation project of Beit Eshtam seeks to breathe new life into the old commercial center and transform it into an active, open, and multi-layered urban destination — a place that combines commerce, culinary experiences, culture, nature, and advanced technology.
The planning vision is based on creating a lively space throughout the day. During daytime hours, the complex functions as a pleasant and inviting commercial center, featuring restaurants, cafés, retail spaces, and seating areas within a green environment rich in vegetation. Large planters, trees, benches, and shaded areas are integrated throughout the walkways and open spaces, creating the feeling of an urban garden within an existing building.
On the upper floor, a flexible public space is planned, combining restaurants and commercial areas alongside a central open plaza. The planters are placed on wheels, allowing them to be moved as needed and enabling the space to change its character. On selected days, the area transforms from an everyday seating zone into an open-air event venue, with a stage for pop-up performances, musical shows, lectures, and cultural events.
One of the key elements of the project is a dynamic covered roof, designed to open and close according to weather conditions. The roof allows the plaza to be used throughout the year, preserving the feeling of an open and bright outdoor space while also providing comfort and protection during events, on hot sunny days, or in changing weather conditions.
On the lower floor, a unique cultural and technological experience is planned, inviting visitors on a journey into the history and spirit of Safed. The experience begins in a 360-degree projection room, immersing visitors in a rich, enveloping, and engaging world of content. From there, the route continues into a set design that recreates the alleyways of ancient Safed — stone streets, windows, doors, warm lighting, and a mysterious nighttime atmosphere.
Throughout the tour, significant figures from Safed’s history appear through doors, windows, and hidden spaces using holographic projections. These figures are not merely visual displays; they create an interactive experience with visitors through AI systems, enabling conversation, response, and a personal encounter with the historical narrative.
In this way,
Beit Eshtam is transformed from an old commercial building into a new center of urban experience: a place where people can sit, dine, walk, take part in events, meet others — and also dive into the historical, cultural, and spiritual world of Safed in an innovative, vivid, and moving way.
