Shlomo Aronson

Biography

Shlomo Aronson was born in Haifa, Israel. Aronson moved to the United States to study landscape architecture as an undergraduate student and received his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) from the University of California, Berkeley in 1963. He went on to study at the Harvard Graduate School of Design where he received his Master of Landscape Architecture in 1966. Aronson lives and works in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem.

Academic career

Aronson taught at Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem, Department of Architecture 1979 - 1985, 1992; Harvard Graduate School of Design, Urban Design Department, Guest Critic, Spring 1981, Spring 1982, Fall 1997; Harvard Graduate School of Design, Landscape Architecture Department, Visiting Professor, Fall 1985, Spring 1988, Fall 1997; Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Institute of Urban and Regional Studies, 2000-2001. He has been a guest lecturer at various American, Canadian, Italian, German, Indian, Russian and South African universities.

Architectural career

Prior to receiving his master's degree, Aronson worked in Lawrence Halprin’s office in San Francisco, California from 1963-1965. The field of landscape architecture was developing at this time to include large scale projects that incorporated transportation and community planning. In his foreword to “Making Peace with the Land,” Halprin recognized Aronson’s desire to work on larger scale projects and his interest in their “social context and the impact they world have on society.” Aronson was part of The Architects' Collaborative in Cambridge Massachusetts in 1966 and The Greater London Council, Architecture Department from 1966-67. Aronson joined the Jerusalem City Engineer’s Department in 1968. In 1969, Aronson become the owner and director of Shlomo Aronson and Associates, a multi-disciplinary office that includes landscape architects, architects, and urban planners in Jerusalem. Aronson was also the Chairman of the Israel Associates of Landscape Architects from 1991 to 1998.

Design Philosophy

Aronson’s work is characterized by its attention to moral and historical issues of place and culture. His designs recognize both cultural and environmental relationships at the scale of the region and the site. Aronson incorporates a modern aesthetic into an ancient landscape. Lawrence Halprin, Aronson’s former employer and mentor, remarks that “In many ways [Aronson’s] attitudes and his process have transcended questions of detailed design. I believe his work must be judged on a far larger basis-that of concept, basic philosophy, and the significant role that landscape architecture can play in determining the character and quality, not only of Israel, but also of our world and of the future.”

Another characteristic of Aronson’s work is selection of plants that hark back to agricultural and religious traditions. According to Peter Jacobs, “the form and materials of Aronson’s projects are derived from a careful reading of the natural and cultural history of the landscape, an understanding of the urban place as much as the rural countryside.”

In 2012, Aronson planned four "healing gardens" that adjoin the new entrance pavilion of Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Karem. The gardens employ the principles of biophilic design, which posits that nature and vegetation impact positively on human health.

Landscape Planning

Archaeological parks

National and regional planning

Urban planning

Architecture

Historical Preservation

Landscape architecture

Transportation and engineering

Work outside Israel

Awards

Published work