![Azrieli_Sarona_Tower,_almost_finished_-_December_2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Azrieli_Sarona_Tower%2C_almost_finished_-_December_2016.jpg)
The architecture of Israel has been influenced by the different architectural styles of those who have inhabited the country over time, sometimes modified to suit the local climate and landscape.
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
churches,
Crusader castles,
Islamic
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...
madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
s,
Templer houses,
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
arches and minarets, Russian Orthodox onion domes,
International Style modernist buildings, sculptural concrete
Brutalist architecture
Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the ba ...
, and glass-sided skyscrapers all are part of the architecture of Israel.
History
Early period
Ancient regional architecture can be divided into two phases based on building materials — stone and sundried mud brick. Most of the stones used were
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
.
After the Hellenistic period, hard limestone was used for columns, capitals, bases or also the Herodian enclosure walls of the
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount ( hbo, הַר הַבַּיִת, translit=Har haBayīt, label=Hebrew, lit=Mount of the House f the Holy}), also known as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, lit. 'The Noble Sanctuary'), al-Aqsa Mosque compoun ...
. In the north of the country,
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
was used for building stone, door sockets, door pivots but also for drainage.
Fieldstone were placed randomly or laid in courses as well as for polygonal structures, for example it is found in city walls. Rough-hewn Stones and ashlars were used for more complex structure, and they were extracted from quarries. Huge stones were used since the first century B.C. Stone dressing was primarily done with the chisel and the hammer.
[
Sundried mud bricks were the most used material until modern times, particularly in the coastal plain and valleys. Structures were roofed with ]timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
wooden beams covered by reeds and rushes.[
]
Ottoman period
In Lifta
Lifta ( ar, لفتا; he, ליפתא) was a Palestinian Arab village on the outskirts of Jerusalem. The village was depopulated during the early part of the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine.
In July 2017 Israel declared Lifta (ca ...
, until the end of the 19th century, traditional housing construction consisted of a single room without partitions, divided into levels in accordance with various functions carried out in the house:
* ''Rawiyeh'' – a bottom level at the elevation of the courtyard considered the “dirty” part of the house, used for storage and sheltering livestock.
* ''Mastabeh'' – A higher residential level used for sleeping, eating, hospitality and storage.
* ''Sida'' (gallery) – Another living area above the mastaba, used primarily for sleeping.[Heritage Conservation in Israel]
/ref>
In the second half of the 19th century, a residential story characterized by a cross-vault was added above the traditional house, creating a space between the floor with the livestock in the bottom room and the residential story. A separate entrance was installed in each story.[
]Fortified house
A fortified house or fortified mansion is a type of building which developed in Europe during the Middle Ages, generally with significant fortifications added.
United States
In the United States, historically a fortified house was often calle ...
s were built outside the village core and had two stories: a raised ground floor with tiny windows used for raising livestock and storage, and a separate residential floor with large windows and balconies. In the courtyard was a small structure used for storage. Sometimes a tabun baking oven would be located inside it.[
The first modern building technology was evident in the farmhouses. Iron beams were used and the roofs were made of concrete and roof tiles. These structures had balconies with a view and wide doorways.][
]
Modern architecture and town planning
Notable architects
Sensing the political changes taking place in central Europe around the time of the First World War, as well as the stirrings of Zionist ideals about the re-establishment of a homeland for Jews, numerous Jewish architects from around Europe emigrated to Palestine during the first three decades of the 20th century. While much innovative planning occurred during the time of the British Mandatory authorities, 1920–1948, in particular the town plan for Tel Aviv in 1925 by Patrick Geddes
Sir Patrick Geddes (2 October 1854 – 17 April 1932) was a British biologist, sociologist, Comtean positivist, geographer, philanthropist and pioneering town planner. He is known for his innovative thinking in the fields of urban planning ...
, it would be architecture designed in the modernist "Bauhaus" style that would fill the plots of that plan; among the architects who emigrated to Palestine at that time, and who went on to establish formidable careers were: Yehuda Magidovitch
Yehuda Magidovitch (1886–1961) was one of the most prolific Israeli architects. Among his prominent works are the Galei Aviv Casino, a café-restaurant (demolished in 1939), and the Cinema Esther (now Cinema Hotel), both in Tel Aviv.Aisenberg, L ...
, Shmuel Mestechkin (1908-2004; specialised in kibbutz architecture), Lucjan Korngold (1897-1963; Poland and Brazil; the Rubinsky House, an early Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , , ), was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture. He was ...
-style building in Tel Aviv, is often misattributed to him), Jacob (Jacques, Jacov) Ornstein (1886-1953), Salomon Gepstein (1882-1961), Josef Neufeld (1899–1980) and Elsa Gidoni (1899–1978; née Mandelstamm).
Dov Karmi
Dov Karmi ( he, דב כרמי; 1905 – 14 May 1962) was a renowned architect of Mandate Palestine and Israel.
Biography
Dov Karmi was born in 1905, the son of Hannah and Sholom Weingarten, in Zhvanets, Russian Empire. In 1921 the Wein ...
, Zeev Rechter
Ze'ev ( he, זאב \ זְאֵב ''zeév''), also spelled Zeev or Zev, is a name of Hebrew origin which means wolf. The given name is a masculine form used among Ashkenazi Jews. It is a Biblical name, adapted from a reference to Benjamin in Genesi ...
and Arieh Sharon
Arieh Sharon ( he, אריה שרון; May 28, 1900 – July 24, 1984) was an Israeli architect and winner of the Israel Prize for Architecture in 1962. Sharon was a critical contributor to the early architecture in Israel and the leader of the fi ...
were among the leading architects of the early 1950s.[A Concrete Life]
Noam Dvir, Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
Magazine, October 17, 2008 Rudolf (Reuven) Trostler played an important role in designing the country's early industrial buildings.[ ]Dora Gad
Dora Gad (Hebrew דורה גד; b. 1912, d. 31 December 2003) was an Israeli interior designer, whose work had significant influence on the development of modern Israeli architecture.
Biography
Dora Siegel (later Gad) was born in Câmpulung, Ro ...
designed the interiors of the Knesset
The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
, the Israel Museum
The Israel Museum ( he, מוזיאון ישראל, ''Muze'on Yisrael'') is an art and archaeological museum in Jerusalem. It was established in 1965 as Israel's largest and foremost cultural institution, and one of the world’s leading encyclopa ...
, the country's first large hotels, the Jewish National and University Library
The National Library of Israel (NLI; he, הספרייה הלאומית, translit=HaSifria HaLeumit; ar, المكتبة الوطنية في إسرائيل), formerly Jewish National and University Library (JNUL; he, בית הספרים הלא ...
, El Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (, he, אל על נתיבי אויר לישראל בע״מ), trading as El Al (Hebrew: , "Upwards", "To the Skies" or "Skywards", stylized as ELAL; ar, إل-عال), is the flag carrier of Israel. Since its inaugura ...
planes and Zim passenger ships. Amnon Niv Amnon Niv ( he, אמנון ניב) (February 23, 1930 – June 6, 2011) was an Israeli architect and urban designer. Niv was the chief architect for the Negev Nuclear Research Center and the City Engineer of Jerusalem. Together with Amnon Schwartz, ...
designed Moshe Aviv Tower
Moshe Aviv Tower ( he, מגדל משה אביב), is a skyscraper located in the demarcated area of the Diamond Exchange District (Israel Diamond Exchange) on Jabotinsky Road (No. 7) in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. The 68-sto ...
, Israel's tallest building. David Resnick was a Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian-born Israeli architect who won the Israel Prize
The Israel Prize ( he, פרס ישראל; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor.
History
The Israel Prize is awarded annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state cer ...
in architecture[Encyclopedia Judaica, 2008]
as quoted by Jewish Virtual Library, retrieved September 13, 2012 and the Rechter Prize for iconic Jerusalem buildings such as the Israel Goldstein Synagogue and Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
on Mount Scopus
Mount Scopus ( he, הַר הַצּוֹפִים ', "Mount of the Watchmen/ Sentinels"; ar, جبل المشارف ', lit. "Mount Lookout", or ' "Mount of the Scene/Burial Site", or ) is a mountain (elevation: above sea level) in northeast Je ...
.[Brittain-Catlin, Timothy]
"Israel Goldstein Synagogue, Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel Heinz Rau and David Reznik"
Building of the Month, Twentieth Century Society, June 2010, retrieved September 13, 2012["A mixed modernist message,"]
Noam Dvir for Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
, 2 February 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
Movie theaters
The architecture of Tel Aviv's movie theaters can be seen as a reflection of Israeli architectural history: The first cinema, the Eden, opened in 1914, was an example of the eclectic
Eclectic may refer to:
Music
* ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014
* ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996
* Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act
* Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...
style that was in vogue at the time, combining European and Arab traditions. The Mugrabi cinema, designed in 1930, was built in art deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
style. In the late 1930s, the Esther, Chen and Allenby theaters were prime examples of the Bauhaus
The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...
style. In the 1950s and 1960s, brutalist style architecture was exemplified by the Tamar cinema built inside the historic Solel Boneh building on Allenby Street
Allenby Street ( he, רחוב אלנבי ''Rehov Alenbi'') is a major street in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was named in honor of Field Marshal Viscount Allenby.
Allenby Street stretches from the Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea c ...
.
Late Ottoman period
The Templers
Templers may refer to:
* Templers, South Australia is a town in South Australia
* Templers (religious believers) are members of the Temple Society
See also
*Instituts-Templers
Instituts-Templers is a district of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. It's ...
built homes with tiled roofs like those in the German countryside.
Mandate period
Housing built during the British Mandate was urban in character, with flat roofs, rectangular doorways and painted floor tiles.[
Municipal laws in ]Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
require that all buildings be faced with local Jerusalem stone
Jerusalem stone (Hebrew: אבן ירושלמית; Arabic: حجر القدس) is a name applied to various types of pale limestone, dolomite and
dolomitic limestone, common in and around Jerusalem that have been used in building since ancient tim ...
. The ordinance dates back to the ]British Mandate and the governorship of Sir Ronald Storrs
Sir Ronald Henry Amherst Storrs (19 November 1881 – 1 November 1955) was an official in the British Foreign and Colonial Office. He served as Oriental Secretary in Cairo, Military Governor of Jerusalem, Governor of Cyprus, and Governor of N ...
and was part of a master plan for the city drawn up in 1918 by Sir William McLean, then city engineer of Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
.
Three of the six British town planners of the time were Charles Robert Ashbee
Charles Robert Ashbee (17 May 1863 – 23 May 1942) was an English architect and designer who was a prime mover of the Arts and Crafts movement, which took its craft ethic from the works of John Ruskin and its co-operative structure from the soc ...
, "the most pro-Arab and anti-Zionist" of them, Clifford Holliday
Albert Clifford Holliday (1897–1960) M. Arch, Dip. C.D., F.R.I.B.A., M.T.P., was a British architect and town planner who worked in several places across the British Empire, including Mandatory Palestine, Ceylon and Gibraltar, as well as in ...
and Austen Harrison
Austen St. Barbe Harrison (1891–1976) was a British-born architect. While British, Harrison spent most of his career overseas, and mainly in the Middle East. His works include the British Representative's Residence, Amman, the High Commissione ...
, another important Mandate-time town planner being the German-Jewish
The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (''circa'' 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish ...
architect Richard Kaufmann.
State of Israel, first decades
In the 1950s and 1960s, Israel built rows of concrete tenements to accommodate the masses of new immigrants living in the temporary tents and tin shacks of the maabarot
Ma'abarot ( he, מַעְבָּרוֹת) were immigrant and refugee absorption camps established in Israel in the 1950s, constituting one of the largest public projects planned by the state to implement its sociospatial and housing policies.
T ...
.
From 1948, architecture in Israel was dominated by the need to house masses of new immigrants. The Brutalist concrete style suited Israel's harsh climate and paucity of natural building materials.
Today, many such old buildings remain in Israeli cities. Although they are being gradually remodeled as part of the Tama 38 program which is meant to strengthen old buildings against earthquakes or completely demolished and replaced with more modern housing projects occupying the former site as part of the "pinui binui" (evacuate and build) program, it is expected to take decades before this style of architecture completely disappears from Israel's cities.
Recent developments
First named the "White City" in 1984, the White City of Tel Aviv
The White City ( he, העיר הלבנה, ''Ha-Ir ha-Levana''; ar, المدينة البيضاء ''Al-Madinah al-Baydha’a'') is a collection of over 4,000 buildings in Tel Aviv from the 1930s built in a unique form of the International Style, ...
has been declared a UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site.
As property values have risen, skyscrapers
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ri ...
are going up around the country. The Azrieli Sarona Tower
The Azrieli Sarona Tower is a skyscraper in the Sarona neighborhood, Tel Aviv, Israel, on Begin Road. It is high with 61 floors. It is the tallest building in Israel, followed by Ramat Gan's 235-meter-high Moshe Aviv Tower.
Construction histo ...
in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
is the tallest building in Israel to date.
has evolved from organic architecture
Organic architecture is a philosophy of architecture which promotes harmony between human habitation and the natural world. This is achieved through design approaches that aim to be sympathetic and well-integrated with a site, so buildings, furn ...
towards biomorphism. The Pavie House in Neve Daniel
Neve Daniel ( he, נְוֵה דָּנִיֵּאל) is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in western Gush Etzion south of Jerusalem and just west of Bethlehem, it sits atop one of the highest points in the area - close to 1,000 meter ...
is a rare case of non-geometric, Neo-futuristic blobitecture
Blobitecture (from blob architecture), blobism and blobismus are terms for a movement in architecture in which buildings have an organic, amoeba-shaped, building form. Though the term ''blob architecture'' was in vogue already in the mid-1990s, t ...
in Israel.
Museums and archives
A small Bauhaus Museum was established in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
in 2008. The Munio Gitai Weinraub Museum of Architecture opened in Haifa
Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...
in 2012.Amos Gitai sets up Israel's first architecture museum in memory of his father
Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
Gallery
File:Tel Aviv old city hall.jpg, Old Town Hall, Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
File:Mugrabi.jpg, Mugrabi cinema, 1930
File:YadkenS.jpg, Yad Kennedy
Yad Kennedy ( he, יד קנדי, Kennedy Memorial ), located in the Mateh Yehuda Region near Jerusalem, is a memorial to John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963. The memorial is ...
memorial, Jerusalem Forest
The Jerusalem Forest is a municipal pine forest located in the Judean Mountains on the outskirts of Jerusalem. It is surrounded by the neighborhoods of Beit HaKerem, Yefe Nof, Ein Kerem, Har Nof and Givat Shaul, and a moshav, Beit Zeit. The ...
File:City Gate Ramat Gan 2008.jpg, Moshe Aviv Tower, Ramat Gan
Ramat Gan ( he, רָמַת גַּן or , ) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, located east of the municipality of Tel Aviv and part of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. It is home to one of the world's major diamond exchanges, and many ...
File:Biomorphic solar green house by Ephraim-Henry Pavie.jpg, The Pavie House, 2011
File:Rothschild Boulevard - WLM 2013 - ovedc - 11.JPG, Meier on Rothschild
Meier on Rothschild is a skyscraper on Allenby Street in Tel Aviv, Israel. The tower is 158 meters (520 ft) and It is the second highest residential building in Israel after Nevve Nof Tower.
Location
It is located on Rothschild Boulevard, with en ...
tower, in 2013 Tel Aviv's highest residential building
See also
*Architecture of Palestine The architecture of Palestine covers a vast historical time frame and a number of different styles and influences over the ages. The urban architecture of the region of Palestine prior to 1850 was relatively sophisticated. The Palestinian townhouse ...
, which overlaps in countless regards with the architecture of Israel and vice versa
* List of Jewish architects
References
Further sources
*6. (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benamy_Turkienicz2 Turkienicz's webpage at the university). Retrieved 2020-07-25.
*7. (https://muchanut.haifa.ac.il/index.php/en/about-eng/first-row/researchers/item/18-carmon-naomi Carmon's professional details). Retrieved 2020-07-25.
*8. (https://www.osvaldo-stav.com/about-us Stav's business webpage). Retrieved 2020-07-25.
*9. (https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/engn/struct/pages/staff/Sakis.aspx Meir's webpage at the university). Retrieved 2020-07-25.
*10. (https://grobman.net.technion.ac.il/ Grobman's webpage at the institute). Retrieved 2020-07-25.
External links
JewishVirtualLibrary.org: Archaeology
Arzaworld.com: Historical Architecture and Design in Israel
by David Kroyanker
David Kroyanker (born 1939) is an Israeli architect and architectural historian of Jerusalem. He has written dozens of popular books about Jerusalem neighborhoods, streets, and buildings, and urban planning.
Biography
Kroyanker was born and rai ...
''Fifty Years of Israeli Architecture as Reflected in Jerusalem's Buildings''
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 26 May 1999
Israel Architect Design
of Israel Quarterly''
*''"Jerusalem: Architecture in the late Ottoman Period"'' by Lili Eylon
{{Asia in topic, Architecture of
Architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
Architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...