After decades of serving as the country’s military nerve center, the Kirya complex in Tel Aviv is approaching a turning point. Preparations to relocate the Defense Ministry bases to alternative sites raise a particularly intriguing question: what will rise at the very heart of the city, on the highly valuable land enclosed by Menachem Begin, Shaul Hamelech, Leonardo da Vinci, and Eliezer Kaplan streets?
To explore possible answers, the Israel Land Authority convened an extraordinary professional workshop, where groups of architects were enlisted for a brainstorming session, this time with the close assistance of artificial intelligence systems. The goal: to imagine future scenarios, create simulations, analyze land uses, and generate proposals that break away from conventional planning.
Park or Towers?
Among the proposals presented, two main - and almost opposing - directions emerged. The first: turning the entire area into a massive urban park, creating a green lung just steps from the Azrieli complex, Sarona, and key cultural venues. Plans mentioned groves, bike paths, leisure facilities, and even a bold idea to build a suspended amusement park above one of the existing buildings.
The second approach suggested transforming the site into a dense, mixed-use urban hub, with new high-rise neighborhoods, active commercial fronts, and strong connectivity to the light rail and planned metro. Some architects proposed preserving the historic Kirya Tower as a city landmark, while others argued that a completely new skyline must be created.
One of the most intriguing proposals dealt with the existing infrastructure beneath the Kirya - the famous “bunker.” Several planners proposed using the underground space to create additional urban layers: vertical farms to supply fresh produce, underground commercial centers, direct connections to metro systems, and smart parking facilities. The idea: to turn what was once seen as a security limitation into a driver of civilian growth - energy-efficient and sustainable.
Although the exercise was purely conceptual, the gathering itself signals a shift in public thinking. For the first time, artificial intelligence is being deliberately integrated into the planning of strategic government land, and the discussion began even before an official decision was made about the development direction.
Yanki Quint, head of the Israel Land Authority, concluded the meeting by saying, “Combining advanced technology with creative thinking allows us to bring to the table ideas that can reshape the face of the city - and the country - in the coming decades.”
The future of southern Kirya depends on a series of decisions - how much space will be allocated to parkland, how much to construction, what uses will be prioritized, and how traffic congestion will be handled. One thing is certain: the question is no longer whether the Kirya will change, but how one of the most fascinating urban projects of the 21st century will take shape.