Manger Square Beautification

The late Mr. Said Khoury, Co-founder of CCC and founder of BDF has pledged to rehabilitate and beautify Manger Square. Objectives and Rationale Manger Square is the iconic center of Bethlehem, and the hub of various religious activities and festivals celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. As well as national and social celebrations. Planning and \beautification of Manger Square aims at reclaiming the functionality of the square as an open space and its status as an urban landmark free of vehicular traffic. It will help in prolonging tourist stay in Bethlehem, job creation and the overall quality of life. Project Phase-1 KNT Construction Company executed works at the three municipal buildings surrounding Manger Square. At the old municipality building the roof water distribution system was rearranged for optimal use and minimal load. The sixty year old waterproofing was replaced, the front facade windows were enlarged while all other windows were replaced and all the outside stone facades were cleaned and repointed. At the new municipality building all facades were cleaned by water jetting and sand blasting and the roof was cleaned up. Similarly, the Peace Center facades were cleaned by water jetting and sand plastering. The roof was cleaned and the main façade doors and windows repaired and repainted. Project Phase-2 Works were executed by Al-Maher General Contracting Company and included: The Square Improvements:

The Square improvements included various landscaping interventions including patching of damaged tiles, cleaning of stone elements, adding new signage to shops and installing two digital screens. The main entrance to the Municipality was changed by replacing the existing short wall with a planter, adding flag poles, fixing street tiling and drainage and streamlining traffic with fixed bollards and moveable planters and creating a new parking for the Mayor away from the entrance Afteem’s Road is an essential exit of the square, the surface was tiled and the road had no drainage system, our intervention included asphalt with a rough texture to avoid a slippery surface, adding a drainage system to the road, and adding a new stair case for pedestrians.