This book is about the relationship between miniature architectural models and the exterior reality to which they refer. It sets out to explore how this relationship enables us to envision a full-sized environment in our imagination. In particular, it is about architectural models that are on display to the public. I visited many such models in order to examine how representations of space and place can be symbolic containers of collective hopes and dreams, as well as fears and anxieties. Such representations of collective landscapes are termed in this book modelscapes.

As an architect and academic interested in questions of Israeli culture and identity, I explore in this book three modelscapes. These very different sites are interesting because they deal in different ways with the Israeli socio-political reality. Spatially, they represent different aspects of the contested physical space, which is the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They offer ways to understand and manage a chaotic and complex reality, by inviting the visitors to participate in the model reality with their bodies. Ideologically, they represent political and cultural narratives of collective memory and identity. Furthermore, I show in this book how interpretations of their meaning are affected by the political and cultural changing context, and thus have evolved and transformed over time.

In the process of analyzing modelscapes and their meanings I was helped and guided by some wonderful and generous people who shared with me their knowledge and thoughts. The first version of this book was my dissertation, and my first thanks are to my teachers Professor Lev Grinberg of Ben Gurion University and Professor Wendy Pullan of the University of Cambridge, for their endless support, time, thought and care. They have encouraged me to undertake this long and interesting process, and provided guidance and inspiration throughout the years of this research.

I wish to thank the people who have read the different versions of the manuscript and provided me with important comments and ideas: Professor Yael Zerubavel, Professor Adrian Forty, Professor Tovi Fenster, Professor Stephan Stetter and Professor Jackie Feldman. Without their invaluable advice and support this project could not be completed.