history | Tel Aviv Fever

Neo-Romantic building in the Ha-Hasmal Street beautiful restored

December 21st, 2011 | Comments Off

The Neo-Romantic building, designed in 1924, in the Ha-Hasmalstreet no.10 is a real beauty again after 18 month of restoration-work. The now colorful facade is shining: a great job is done here!! … Read entire article »

Filed under: architecture, city, featured, history

Bauhaus building as set for new Israeli movie

November 26th, 2011 | Comments Off

A Bauhaus-building in the Dov-Hoz Street no. 8 was used a few weeks ago as set for a new Israeli feature: Snails in the Rain, directed by Yariv Mozer, produced by Hila Aviram and based on a short story by Yossi Avni Levy. It is the first feature of Yariv Mozer, who made different award’s winning documentaries. Yossi Avni Levy is a famous Israeli writer and diplomat, today you will find him in Belgrade. In … Read entire article »

Filed under: architecture, city, featured, history, movies, restoration

‘Life in Stills’ wins its first international award!

October 23rd, 2011 | 1 Comment

Last evening, the touching documentary: Life in Stills,directed by Tamar Tal and produced by Barak Heymann, did win its first international award: the Talent Dove of the Media Foundation of the Sparkasse Leipzig at the 54th. International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film. Life in Stills is the story about Miriam Weissenstein and her grandson Ben to keep their famous shop Photo House Pri-Or at the spot it was since 1940: at Allenbey-street no. 30. Miriam, … Read entire article »

Filed under: city, featured, future, history, photography

Documentary The Flat wins an Ophir Award 2011

September 25th, 2011 | Comments Off

Last Thursday-evening 98 minutes documentary The Flat, directed by Arnon Goldfinger received the Award for Best Documentary at the Ophir Awards 2011 (the ‘Israeli Oscars’). It is the story about the grandparents of Arnon, who were living on the 3rd. floor of a Bauhaus building at 31, Gordon Street in Tel Aviv. Arnon says about his documentary: “…My grandparents lived on the 3rd. floor since 1935, when they immigrated to Palestine. The flat was furnished with … Read entire article »

Filed under: art, city, events, featured, history, movies, personal

The once Ben Nahum Hotel is today the place to be: Shampina

July 26th, 2011 | Comments Off

Last Saturday afternoon I did visit an afternoon-party at the Shampina Bar on Rothschild Boulevard 32. The place was crowded and swinging with the ‘to be seen folks’ of Tel Aviv. You will find the Shampina in the once Ben Nahum Hotel, the beautiful building with this special roof-top on the corner of Rothschild Boulevard and Allenby Street, designed in 1921 by Judah Magidovitch, Tel Aviv’s first city engineer. Last September restoration works started on the … Read entire article »

Filed under: architecture, city, dance, going out, history, life, restaurants, restoration

Tel Aviv boutique hotel Center Chic reopened

July 10th, 2011 | Comments Off

The Atlas boutique hotel chain has opened the Center Chic Hotel (former Center hotel) following a renovation of around $2.7 million/€ 1,8 million. The hotel situated on Dizengoff Square (entrance: Zamenhoff Street no. 2) includes 54 rooms and an intimate lobby with books, albums and historic films about Tel Aviv. The original Bauhaus building was designed in 1948 by Haim Meshulam and housed the Gazit Hotel. … Read entire article »

Filed under: architecture, city, featured, history, holidays, restoration

Dutch architects and engineers visiting Tel Aviv

June 5th, 2011 | Comments Off

Last Thursday, June 2nd, 61 Dutch architects and engineers did visit our city Tel Aviv. The 6-days Dutch Architecture Israel Excursion was organized by Ton Voets (Cultuurreizen.tv in Delft, Holland). I took 31 people from the group and showed them historic Tel Aviv (1909-1938). In the 3-hours walk of the inner-city of Tel Aviv, they saw Neo-Romantic, Eclectic and Bauhaus, or Internationale Style architecture. In the inner-city of Tel Aviv (since June … Read entire article »

Filed under: architecture, art, city, featured, history

Tel Aviv: Keep an eye on your restoration projects!!

May 29th, 2011 | Comments Off

One of the first Bauhaus buildings (there are 4.000 of them in the inner-city of Tel Aviv!) that was restored (in 1994), is the beautiful building in Bialik Street no. 18 (architect: Friedman Bros, 1935). A few days ago, I did a Bauhaus tour with a Dutch reporter and saw the building again, after quite a long time. I was quite shocked: the building has signs of decay of concrete again!! Please, Tel Aviv, once you restore … Read entire article »

Filed under: architecture, city, featured, future, history, restoration

Life in Stills: struggle for Tel Aviv Weissensteins photo shop [edited]

May 17th, 2011 | Comments Off

During the 13th. Docaviv Film Festival, I was at the premiere (May 16th.) of the documentary: Life in Stills, directed by Tamar Tal and produced by Barak Heymann. It is the emotional story of Miriam Weissenstein (during the shootings: 96 years old) and her grandson Ben in their struggle for their Pri-Or Photo Shop at Allenby 30. Photographer Rudi Weissenstein opened his shop in 1940. I think every Telavivian knows this famous shop with the large … Read entire article »

Filed under: architecture, city, featured, future, history, movies, photography

Troubles, troubles, troubles in paradise… and in- and around Habima Theater

April 26th, 2011 | Comments Off

We wrote many times on Tel Aviv Fever about the ‘strange’ restoration project of the Habima Theater done by architect Ram Karmi. But now also the designer of the new plaza near Habima: the sculptor Dani Karavan joined the chorus of complaining about the whole project and the two top ” artists ” are blaming each other! In this article by Noam Dvir in the Haaretz Magazine: “Squaring off in Tel Aviv”, Dani Karavan has … Read entire article »

Filed under: architecture, art, city, future, history, life, restoration, theater

Entrances of Tel Aviv buildings by photographer France Lebee-Nadav

March 17th, 2011 | Comments Off

I did found an awesome article in ‘Haaretz Magazine’ written by Dalia Karper: ‘Lovable Anarchy’ about France Lebee-Nadav who did photograph for 20 years the entrances of Tel Aviv buildings - that no-man’s land that belongs to the yard and the street. “You don’t find spaces like this anywhere else” says France Lebee-Nadiv… Not even in her city of birth, Paris. [building entrances of the Moriem House, at Druyanov Street 1, designed by Reuben Mitelman (1938). Photo's by Frits … Read entire article »

Filed under: architecture, city, history, photography

Allenby 58, from cinema to club to apartment complex

March 8th, 2011 | Comments Off

In the beginning of 2000 ‘Allenby 58′ was the place to be: a groundbreaking club, with the best dj’s of the world. Years before it was known as the ‘Rimon Cinema’. It started all in 1930 when architect Shlomo Gepstein was commissioned a plan to design a three-storey block of flats on a plot at Allenby 58. Plans changed and in 1932 a cinema was build. After the 80′s the building crumbled down, until it became a Tel Aviv … Read entire article »

Filed under: architecture, city, featured, future, history, life

Just some random facts about Tel Aviv

February 19th, 2011 | Comments Off

January 2011… Population : 403.000; Academic institutions: 9; Museums: 23; Theaters: 9; Dog parks: 40; Dog owners: 20.000; Gyms: 80; Bars: 450; Sushi restaurants: 100 (the 3rd. highest concentration per capita in the world ); Private investigators: 108; Matchmaking services: 18; Public libraries: 22; Bookstores: 91; Cafes: 332; Street lamps: 63.312 and 151 outdoor sculptures… We think you should come to see it all with your own eyes. Even the (many) dogs… ;-) … Read entire article »

Filed under: books, city, future, going out, history, life, museum, restaurants, TA Fever