For the first time in the history of civilization, half of the world's population currently resides in cities. Man has become an urban animal, while the world's metropolitan centers are now significant global forces, contemporary versions of the "city-state." Over the past decades, numerous "city museums" have been established to examine the legacy of different cities, including their urban culture and myths, human makeup, history, architecture, and more. Museums of this kind, which study the city from every possible perspective, have transformed it into an object of sorts; yet this is a living and constantly evolving object, which cannot be displayed in a glass case.
The city is not merely a collection of elements such as buildings, streets, public institutions, and people; it is also the internal dynamic between these elements - between different sectors of the population, physical spaces, and social institutions, which together define the city's texture. Urban planning, which shapes the cityscape and its unique character, may serve as a tool for surveillance and control wielded by the establishment and by those in positions of power in order to transmit specific messages and ideologies, and to impact the character of the city and the behavior of its residents. In this context, the design of the urban landscape and the relations between a place and the community that inhabits it may serve as a means of defining aspects of both national and social identity.
The development of Haifa's urban landscape constitutes a fascinating reflection of the historical processes that have impacted it over time, and of the manner in which its identity and character have been consolidated. Beginning in the eighteenth century, Haifa underwent a significant number of political and social transformations, which have all left their imprint on the city. The exhibition is concerned with the city's urban texture, and centers on an examination of prominent buildings along Haifa's shoreline, at the foot of the Carmel Mountain. Over time, these buildings have acquired an iconic status as important elements in the city's history. This exhibition studies them in terms of their impact on the city's architectural development and of their relations to the shoreline. Over time, this area has been significantly transformed by human efforts to conquer the sea and the natural environment, while effacing and reconstructing different parts of it. The selection of buildings examined in this context reveals the social, economic and political influences that have shaped Haifa's urban landscape, while enabling us to examine the relationship between the city and the sea.
The Opening sponsored by Winery Salomon