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Rethinking Urban Renewal

April 28, 2026

Join us for the next Research Tuesday lecture and discussion – at Viadukt Karlín – Arch #36 , Prague 8 – Karlín.

April 28 at 18h30

Rethinking Urban Renewal : 

Explore scenarios for future smart cities and current as future challenges, the impact of economic systems on urban transformation, collaboration between private and public sectors, and the architect’s role in creating high-quality, vibrant, resilient, and inclusive urban environments for all.

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Erez Ella was born in Jerusalem in 1971, is the founder of HQ Architects, an award winning architecture and urban design studio established in Tel Aviv in 2008. Prior to founding HQ Architects, he held key roles as an Associate at OMA (1999–2005) and as a Principal at REX (2006–2008). During this time, he led major international projects such as the TVCC in Beijing, the second scheme for the Whitney Museum in
New York, and the Wyly Theatre in Dallas.

From Tel Aviv, Erez oversees the design of more than 60 active projects in Israel and around the world, spanning a wide range of scales and typologies, including urban planning, public spaces, cultural and educational institutions, offices, hospitality, and residential developments. Notable projects include the design of the Tel Aviv Metro M1 Line stations, the Sheba Medical Complex Master Plan, the Lod Cultural Center, and the Ashdod Arena, and the Herzliya Congress Arena (currently in construction) among others. Recently completed projects include the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance – Ari Kushner Building and the new Stuart Weitzman Tennis Complex in Jerusalem.

Beyond practicing architecture, Erez co-curated the Israeli Pavilion at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale and was an Eero Saarinen Visiting Professor at the Yale School of Architecture in 2007. In 2011, he established the „Mechanism of Design and Urbanism“ research unit at Bezalel Academy, which he led for over a decade. Currently, Erez is a guest co-instructor for a thesis project course at the School of Architecture and Planning at Polis University in Tirana (2025-2026). Moreover, he serves as a faculty member at the Bezalel School of Architecture and as the Head of the Board for the ‘Jerusalem Season of Culture.’