The worst show in town
A very good commentary I did find in Ha’aretz, November the 6th: “The worst show in town” about the ‘rape’ (so called restoration) of our national theater building Habima by the (so called) architect Ram Karmi. The editor of Ha’aretz wrote,e.g: “When every city resident wanting to expand a window or close off a balcony must go trough the purgatory of municipal red tape, it is puzzling that such brutal, environment-altering structure could have emerged (an enormous block of concrete, sealed by walls, rising like a dam along the street) in such an attractive part of central Tel-Aviv…” … Read entire article »
Filed under: architecture, future, history, restoration, theater
Foreign billionaire buys Tel Aviv flat for $7 million
Tel Aviv luxury towers continue to attract wealthy people from around the world. A Jewish billionaire purchased an apartment (600 square meters) at the new to build luxury tower at the Rothschild Boulevard no.17 (near Ahad-Ha’amstreet). The two old buildings (in the front of the tower) will be preserved. The tower will include 64 apartments. The land was purchased in February 2000 from the Banin family and the entire deal, including the land purchase, cost of construction and restoration of the two old buildings, is valued at….$121 million (!) … Read entire article »
Filed under: architecture, future, history, life, restoration
The Three Routes of Tel Aviv
As the Centennial Year draws to an end, one of its most special projects will be introduced in a weekend of walking tours…the so called Three Routes will be officially inaugurated on October 30th and 31st. The Three Routes are special walking trails which tell the story of the city trough three distinguishing colors: White, Blue and Green. The White Route goes through the White City and historic Tel Aviv. The Blue Route runs along the city’s coastline. The Green Route follows the Yarkon River and Ganei-Yehoshua. Each route includes key stations that highlight important sites and prominent inhibitants. The stations are marked by special solar-tiles (!). Information about each station can be heard through any cellular device (!) by dialing: 054-4004414 and pressing the route and station number. To download the maps of the routes … Read entire article »
Filed under: architecture, centennial, history, holidays, life, restoration
Architectural tour of Tel Aviv
On Friday 6th and 13th of November the IOH (Irgoen Oleh Holland) will organize an architectural tour of Tel Aviv. See the Gems of the city in Neo-Classic, Romantic, Eclectic and Bauhaus or International Style (1909-1938). The (walking)tour will start at the corner of Herzl-street and Rothschild-boulevard, near the first kiosk (1909) of Tel Aviv and ends (after 3 hours) in the beautiful, restored Neve-Tsedek neighborhood. For all architecture-lovers a must!! For information:Milly Horowitz (03-5169096 ) … Read entire article »
Filed under: architecture, events, history, life, restoration
An other landmark in Tel Aviv destroyed?
The last few months, we wrote a few items about the rape of our Habima theater building by Ram Karmi. But the Municipality of Tel Aviv has no limits at all. A few weeks ago, they agreed to a plan to destroy an other famous Tel-Aviv landmark: The Asia House in Weizmann Street 4, designed in 1960 by Ben Horin. This beautiful shaped building was a relief for a lot of architecture-lovers after a long period of Brutal style architecture (concrete, concrete, concrete!). The new owner of the building is Alfred Akirov… He build, the last few years towers all over the center of Tel Aviv, e.g. destroying the Rotschild Boulevard with this large ugly steel and glass monsters. The new plans for the Asia House are just unbelievable: a 12-stories … Read entire article »
Filed under: architecture, history, restoration
An other Bauhaus building sold
For the second time this month, a historic Bauhaus-building (1936) was sold to a group of investors. The building (560 square meters) on Dizingoff Street, near Frishmanstreet, was sold for NIS 21 million ($7 million). After the preservation and reconstruction works, the building will get three (!) more floors. The building will have, at the end, 24 apartments, each measures 55 square meters and two penthouses (sales-offers at this moment: $321.000 for an apartment). The two penthouse will be sold for nearly $2 million. The restoration architect will be Nitza Szmuk, who studied restauration in Florence. She fought for years, within-and outside the Municipality of Tel Aviv, for the Bauhaus buildings of Tel Aviv. She wrote a fantastic, historic book about the Bauhaus-buildings ( Hebrew and English/French): Dwellings on the Dunes and … Read entire article »
Filed under: architecture, exhibitions, history, restoration
Bauhaus-building sold for $2million
A Bauhaus-building (1936) in the Yehuda Halevie Street was sold yesterday to a privat investor for NIS 7.3 million ($2 million). The structure, 4 stories-high,was build on a land measuring 280 square meters. It was owned by an offshoot of one of the founders of the famous Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. The new owner said that he will restore the historic building and add an other floor on it (costs: $1 million). … Read entire article »
Filed under: architecture, history, restoration
Up against the wall
Three years ago, I wrote on my FaceBook Page: Architecture of Tel-Aviv 1909-1938 about the destructive restauration/renovation plans of the Municipality of Tel Aviv for our national theater: Habima (at the end of Rothschild Boulevard) designed in 1934 by Oscar Kaufmann. Also on our website Tel Aviv Fever, we wrote the last three month a few articles (here and here ) about the ‘rape‘ of Habima. The so called restoration architect Ram Karmi is building a concrete monster (he added two concrete floors) and the front of Habima (all green glass) will be like a shopping-mall. This weekend in the Haaretz-Magazine there was (the neighborhoud started to be awake!) a long article about this culture-crime of Habima, written by Yossi Klein. He writes: “Suddenly, on Tel Aviv’s Tarsat Street, a giant … Read entire article »
Filed under: architecture, history, restoration
Why add an upper-floor??
On the Ben Yehuda Street no. 8 you find a beautiful building, designed in the Eclectic-style in 1926 by Joseph Berlin. The building was in a bad state and restored (real nice) in 1998…but then the restoration/renovation architect got a black-out!! He added a glass-upper floor on this historic building, totally destroying the design of Joseph Berlin. I can’t understand this urge from some of the Israeli restoration ‘architects’ to add upper glass-floors or glass-curtain walls on top of historical buildings. Did they ever heard (or – preferably – learned) about the word aesthetic?? … Read entire article »
Filed under: architecture, restoration
The “House of Jars”
On no.16 at the Nahalat-Binyamin Street, corner Rambam Street, you will find a beautiful large building designed in 1925 by Zeev Rechter: the House of Jars. On the Rambam Street the building is designed with half-domes. The facade on each side is symmetrical, using Greek amphora’s as decoration. Taller then the surrounding buildings and more exposed, the building has been declared as dangerous and all the tenants moved out. It needs badly a restoration!!! … Read entire article »
Filed under: architecture, restoration
The Braun-Rabinski House
On the corner of the Rothschild Boulevard and the Maze Street, you will find a three storey high Bauhaus-building with a beautiful glass stairwell, designed in 1933 by Josef and Wolf (Zeev) Berlin: the Braun-Rabinski House. The 584 square meters building was renovated in 1989, the stairwell and protruding concrete slabs were painted green and pink and the former smooth rendering replaced with a rough rendering. Just go inside the stairwell and to the first floor and see this beautiful glass-design. … Read entire article »
Filed under: architecture, art, history, restoration
At last men at work
For years and years, the 3rd ‘kiosk’ of Tel Aviv, on the corner of Rothschild Boulevard and Allenby Street was in a ‘shabby’ state. Just a few days ago, I saw to my suprise, that they started the restore this historic structure. It is never to late! ;-) [WOW! See the third kiosk in August 2009 HERE] … Read entire article »
Filed under: architecture, history, restoration
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