Review of architectural events

awards and competitions

The final dates of registration and submission for the Project of the Year Competition have been extended by a month. Details at the home site of Architecture of Israel - www.aiq.co.il

Israeli architect Roni Friedman who resides in Sweden won first place in the intra-office competition of A5 ARKITEKTER, Uppsala. The structure, called FRIGGEBOD - is, according to the Swedish law, a “simple building” that may not exceed 15 sq.m. Located at the front of the office, this auxiliary structure consists of six frames in various forms, expressing the tension between the diagonal and right-angled. The principle is that the area of the structure can be doubled and thus adapted to changing uses. A solar system on the roof provides self-sufficient electrical necessities.

Israeli student Oded Rozenkiar of the Faculty of Architecture at the Technion won first prize in a conceptual competition for planning a steel structure to house the Architect House in Paris. Sponsored by AUTO, the competition drew 110 participants who proposed plans for Architect Houses in various cities in France. Oded, who reached the finals with 14 other students, was in Paris-La Villette on a student exchange program, and also employed at the office of Jean Nouvel.

events

Architect Aba Elchanani has passed away, at 90. Editor of the former Tva’i quarterly, historian, and architecture critic, Elchanani published his book “The Struggle for the Independence of Israeli Architecture in the 20th Century”, in the late 90s. He was also a member of the committee that chose the Israeli flag. Aba Elchanani lost his son Ehud in the Yom Kippur War, in the battle on the Golan Heights. A broader article on the man and his activity will appear in the next issue.

Israel Post has issued a series of three stamps of promenades: Armon Hanatziv Promenade planned by landscape architect Shlomo Aronson; Kfar Nahum Promenade on the Kinneret by landscape architect Gidon Sarig; and Harishonim Promenade in Netanya by architect Nettanel Ben Yitzhak. Nice gesture to architecture, though the architects’ names don’t appear on the stamps.

The Foundation for Quarries Rehabilitation, the Nature and Parks Authority, and Mitzpeh Ramon local authority have completed the rehabilitating of about thirty quarry sites. The project focused on creating an accessible hiking landscape, to finally become a national park.

The Herzl Project marking the seven stations that Herzl visited in Israel in 1898 has begun, under the cooperation of the Committee for Preservation of Sites and Buildings, and the Herzl Committee - there’s something like that at the Prime Minister’s Office. The project was announced at the Stern Museum - a building in Mamila which had been marked for demolition but was finally saved due to public outcry - proving that it is worth crying in Jerusalem.

The cornerstone for the Teddy Kollek Park in Jerusalem has been laid. Located near Jaffa Gate, the park will include a promenade overlooking the Sultan’s Pool.
Architects: Moshe Safdie, Uri Shetrit.

exhibitions

The exhibition “Performalism: Form and Performance in Digital Architecture”, showing at Tel Aviv Museum, critically examines the implications of the new genre on the function/form traditional relation.

An impressive exhibition of architect David Nofar took place at Zezeze Gallery, Tel Aviv Port. Among the leading architects of the intermediate generation, Nofar has been focusing over the last decade on public building, particularly university campuses - such as Bar Ilan University and the Ashkelon College, as well as the Yaacov Agam Museum in Rishon Letsion.

verging on architecture

Wood artist Horacio Rafael carves portraits in layers. Manually cut in a system resembling a topographical map, the portrait emphasizes the person’s character. 057-5740577

“Substance without Substance - the Alchemy of Paper” - an exhibition of 39 leading artists from Israel and abroad at Eretz Yisrael Museum, employs various paper techniques such as mixing, meshing, folding, cutting and embroidering. Closing: 21.10.08. 03-6415244
Curator: Paul Jackson.

Two new one-man shows have opened at the Haifa Museum of Art. “Black Hole” by Orly Sever focuses on the relation between the human body and the architectural space surrounding it; the second, by Galia Pasternak, presents a series of drawings of childhood memories. Revealing and interesting.
Closing: 28.12.08 www.hma.org.il
students

The Western Galilee Academic College is currently launching the Siman Center for design and art studies, under the auspices of the Unit for External and Graduate Studies. The aim of the center is to provide high-level applicable training in the design field, as part of the new track for interior design headed by architect Martin Magal.

Students of the Interior Design Track at the College of Administration, together with the Jaffa Port Administration, held a conceptual workshop to enrich the experience of visiting the port. Under renewal, the port will become a culture, recreation and tourist center, while maintaining its authentic function as a fishing port.

Other students of this College have designed a visitor center in a building earmarked for preservation in the Manshia neighborhood, Tel Aviv. Student Itamar Levi planned a center around no less than the cross motif of the Templars. Tali Katz and Adi Yemin were inspired by the Geddes Master Plan of Tel Aviv.

An exhibition of graduates of the Design Arts Track at the School for Art and Technology of Seminar Hakibbutzim took place at the Rachel and Yisrael Art Gallery in the Kalisher domain. The meshing of product design, visual communication and clothing design yielded creative projects.
Curators: David Peer and Dudi Orian.

The Ministry of Education with the Education Association of the Industrialists’ Union are holding an exhibition of design and architecture celebrating 60 years of Israel. Students of design and architecture at high schools were asked to design products reflecting to their mind the Israeli society. Some students designed a work criticizing the impudence of kibbutz society, a light body depicting the brazen pursuit of achievements, and a light body inspired by a match box (God knows why).

Two graduates of the Shenkar Jewelry Design Dept. - Tehila Levi and Doron Taubenfeld, were chosen to participate in the annual exhibition of jewelry design graduates organized by Galerie Marzee in Nujmegen, Holland - one of the leading galleries in the world of jewelry.

That’s it for this quarterly, keep in touch.

Rachel.

ruchi@netvision.net.il

illustrations ahead