The Jordan Gate Project has long been a source of controversy and frustration for Ammanis. Built on a public park, its two skyscrapers are now unfinished, having been dogged by economic difficulties.
But this week the Hanna Salameh design team released a video detailing a radical new proposal for the site - and turned the nightmare into an exciting dream for the future.
The idea, which renames the project Jordan Gate Park, includes solar panels, wind turbines and an indoor farm. There’s plenty of public space, too, and a market where the food grown in the building will be sold to city dwellers.
The video quickly went viral, and has received overwhelming support from ordinary Jordanians.
مشروع خرافي جدا.. يا ريت يتطبق #jordan_gate_park#حديقة_بوابة_الاردنhttps://t.co/Nwrglohqmp
— Lubna Qarqaz (@lubna_qarqaz) 19 April 2016
A fantastic project! I hope it gets done.
في مهندس وجد حل خرافي لأبراج السادس..
— Yazan Shawish (@yazanshawish) 19 April 2016
اعملوا تويت ب هاشتاغ:
#JordanGatePark #حديقة_بوابة_الأردن
لنحاول نوصله للحكومة ويتم تنفيذه!
There's an engineer who's found an amazing solution to the sixth towers. Make a tweet with the hashtag: #Jordan_Gate_Park so we can try and get this to the government and make it happen!
I hope this #JordanGatePark thing works out bc that would be some much needed change
— Aj (@AJQil) 19 April 2016
درس كبير في كيفية تحويل التحدي لفرصه !! #حديقة_بوابة_الأردن https://t.co/8hO0OfLLWt
— Derar (@derarmatar) 19 April 2016
A big lesson on how to transform a challenge into an opportunity.
Some commentators, however, aren’t so optimistic about the project. Could it be strong enough to overcome age-old problems in development and planning?
#حديقة_بوابة_الأردن #JordanGatePark
— Taz1337 (@Mon3az) 19 April 2016
بس لاحظ قديش ناس نفسها تشوف هالبلد أحسن وأحلى، وقدّيش في عنّا أفكار وروح شباب بس الطّفس والفساد دابحها.
How much spirit and ideas we have that are destroyed by greed and corruption.
ع قد ما انا تشجعت للفكرة ع قد ما انا عارف انه الفساد بكل مكان ومش رح تطبق... #حديقة_بوابة_الأردن #JordanGateGarden
— Yazan Shawish (@yazanshawish) 19 April 2016
As much as I encouraged this idea I know that corruption is everywhere and it's not going to happen.
Thr project's currently just in proposal form, so only time will tell if the vision becomes a reality.
