Architecture of Israel

The architecture of Israel is composed of many different styles of building

brought in by those who have occupied the country over the ages, sometimes
modified to suit the local climate and landscape.
Fortified Crusader castles, Islamic madrassas,Byzantine churches, Templer houses,
Bauhaus-style modernist buildings, Arabarches and minarets, Russian Orthodox
onion domes, and soaring glass-sided skyscrapers - all are part of the architecture of
Israel.
Architectural styles
The Arabs built small stone houses on the hillsides with flat or dome roofs. The
Crusaders built fortresses on strategic hilltops. The Christians built churches to mark
sites where Jesus walked. The Templers built homes with tiled roofs like those in the
German countryside. The British Mandatory authorities passed a law requiring all
construction in Jerusalem to be of Jerusalem stone and introduced the idea of
garden suburbs. In the early years of statehood, Israel built rows of concrete
tenements to accommodate the masses of new immigrants to replace the huts,
tents and packing crates of the maabarot.[1] Tel Aviv's White City of Tel Aviv has
been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As property values have
risen,skyscrapers are going up around the country. The Moshe Aviv Tower in Ramat
Ganis the tallest building in Israel to date.
Leading architects
Dov Karmi, Zeev Rechter and Arieh Sharon were among the leading architects of the
early 1950s.[2] Rudolf (Reuven) Trostler played an important role in designing the
country's early industrial buildings.[2] Dora Gad designed the interiors of
the Knesset, the Israel Museum, the country's first large hotels, the Jewish National
and University Library, El Al planes and Zim passenger ships.[3]Amnon
Niv designed Moshe Aviv Tower, Israel's tallest building. David Resnick was
a Brazilian-born Israeli architect who won the Israel Prize in architecture[4] and
the Rechter Prize for iconic Jerusalem buildings such as the Israel Goldstein
Synagogue and Brigham Young University onMount Scopus

Historical developments
Traditional rural house
Until the end of the 19th century, the traditional rural house in the villages
of Israelconsisted 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.[7]

In the second half of the 19th century, a residential story characterized by a crossvault was added above the traditional house, creating a created between the floor
with the livestock in the bottom room and the residential story. A separate entrance
was installed in each story.[7]
Fortified house
Fortified houses 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.[7]
Farmhouses
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. [7]
Modern housing (British Mandate)
Modern housing built during the British Mandate was urban in character, with flat
roofs, rectangular doorways and painted floor tiles. [7]

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 style that was in vogue at the time, combining European and Arab
traditions. The Mugrabi cinema, designed in 1930, was built in art deco style. In the
late 1930s, the Esther, Chen and Allenby theaters were prime examples of
the Bauhaus 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.[8]
State of Israel
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.[9]Municipal laws in Jerusalem require that all
buildings be faced with local Jerusalem stone.[10] The ordinance dates back to
the British Mandate and the governorship of Sir Ronald Storrs[11] and was part of a
master plan for the city drawn up in 1918 by Sir William McLean, then city engineer
of Alexandria.[12]
Museums and archives
A small Bauhaus Museum was established in Tel Aviv in 2008.[13] The Munio Gitai Weinraub
Museum of Architecture opened in Haifa in 2012

Architecture of Israel
The architecture of Israel is composed of many different styles of building brought in by those who
have occupied the country over the ages, sometimes modified to suit the local climate and landscape.
Architectural Styles

The Arabs built small stone houses on the hillsides with flat or dome roofs.
The Crusaders built fortresses on strategic hilltops.
The Christians built churches to mark sites where Jesus walked.
The Templers built homes with tiled roofs like those in the German countryside.
The British Mandatory authorities passed a law requiring all construction in
Jerusalem to be of Jerusalem stone and introduced the idea of garden suburbs.

Leading Architects

Dov Karmi, Zeev Rechter and Arieh Sharon- the leading architects of the early
1950s.

Rudolf (Reuven) Trostler- designed the country's early industrial buildings.

Dora Gad- designed the interiors of the Knesset, the Israel Museum, the country's
first large hotels

Amnon Niv designed Moshe Aviv Tower, Israel's tallest building.

David Resnick was a Brazilian-born Israeli architect who won the Israel Prize in
architecture.

Historical Development

Traditional rural 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.

Fortified House- Fortified houses were built outside the village core and had two
stories.

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.

Movie Theaters- In the 1950s and 1960s, brutalist style architecture was
exemplified by the Tamar cinema built inside the historic Solel Boneh building
on Allenby Street.

State of Israel

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.Municipal laws in Jerusalem require that all
buildings be faced with local Jerusalem stone.

The ordinance dates back to the British Mandate and the governorship of Sir Ronald
Storrs and was part of a master plan for the city drawn up in 1918 by Sir William
McLean, then city engineer of Alexandria.

Museum and Archives

A small Bauhaus Museum was established in Tel Aviv in 2008.The Munio Gitai Weinraub
Museum of Architecture opened in Haifa in 2012