The decision not to preserve a building often stems from its perceived lack of historical, cultural, or architectural significance, rendering it anonymous and unworthy of documentation.

Developed as a graduation project at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, this project begins from the notion that every building functions as a small ecosystem, embodying material, social, and cultural values. It explores design-oriented ways of preserving the memory of an anonymous building slated for demolition, and asks how traces of such structures might be retained before they disappear.

The project unfolds through a series of archival, material, and documentary actions. Together, these actions form an alternative archival system for anonymous buildings designated for demolition. Focusing on the material culture of the building’s construction period, as well as on the stories and people connected to it, the project proposes methods for preserving fragments, textures, and narratives that would otherwise vanish.

The different components of the process were ultimately brought together in an exhibition that examines urban renewal at both micro and macro scales, presenting the preservation strategies developed through the work.

By making visible what is usually overlooked, the project invites viewers to pause and reconsider the ordinary structures that shape everyday urban life. It also raises questions about the disappearance of the material culture embedded in these buildings, despite their anonymity and the fact that most of us live our lives within them.