Name: The Plan 167
Brand: The Plan
Price: 15.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

By Editorial Staff - 15 December 2025

Wonder Cabinet is a vibrant social space and a mixed-use “cabinet of wonders” dedicated to the art and culture of Palestine. It was designed by AAU Anastas, an architecture and research studio with offices in Bethlehem and Paris. The founders, brothers Elias and Yousef Anastas, also created Local Industries, a furniture making facility set up to revitalize local craftsmanship, whose showroom, along with other functional spaces, is located within the complex.

The building reads as a compact concrete grid, defined by interweaving solids and voids, light and shadow, that maintains an ongoing dialogue with the landscape. The structure’s three levels face the Karkafeh Valley on the northern outskirts of Bethlehem, while the north-west façade faces Jordan. At street level, the main entrance allows views through to the valley beyond the building, while steel letters that spell out “wonder cabinet” are free to rotate in the wind. Distinctive conical iron elements, crafted by specialist blacksmith Mohammad Husni, project out from the façade. These functional sculptures shape the light and frame the landscape from the stairwell inside. By contrast, the remaining spaces are flooded with natural light and partition free.

The complex houses numerous spaces, including a multifunctional hall for exhibitions and events, a showroom, a retail space, several studios for artists in residence, a restaurant, and a workshop spanning woodwork, metalwork, printing, textiles, photography, and digital technologies. Culture-oriented independent radio station Radio AlHara also has its offices here. Outside, a shared garden and a street-front area for temporary exhibitions complete the mix of spaces, reflecting the project’s strong cultural vitality and its workshop-oriented spirit focused on creativity and sharing.