Sidi Harazem’s entrance is marked by a signal tower, marking an axis which leads to the site’s hotel and iconic pool. The language of the sculpture is certainly Brutalist, playing with the expressive qualities of concrete in a manner which indicates Zevaco’s wider approach to the design of the Station. Those entering the site circulate under the sculpture’s noteworthy overhangs, allowing visitors to appreciate the monumentality of the site. The sculpture consists of concrete blocks stacked on top of each other with large cantilevering beams appropriating the language of airplane signals. Each block is treated differently, with concrete fluted, left rough, etc. The language of the signal tower not only stretches the structural properties of concrete, but also challenges the smooth white aesthetic of the International Modernist style which was evident in the pre-war period.
In 2017 ACP received support from the Getty Foundation to create a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for the Complex, transforming its abandoned buildings into pedagogical and cultural spaces. Using a participatory design approach that brings various stakeholders and the local community into the design process, a new phased masterplan for Sidi Harazem was developed. Phase one of the rehabilitation is currently underway: an adaptive reuse approach that will transform the market and hotel into cultural spaces for locals and visitors alike.
Watch the Thermal Station transform below, from its current condition to Aziza Chaouni Projects’ new masterplan!
