The Well-Appointed Catwalk: Israeli Design Part 3: Architecture

So much design coming out of such a tiny country! Inspired by my recent trip, Part 3 of this 3-part series on Israeli design focuses on architecture.

A Tel Aviv synagogue built in the 1930s [otherwise uncredited photos were taken by me]

One thing I was looking forward to seeing in Israel was Tel Aviv's White City, a UNESCO World Heritage site made up of over 4,000 Bauhaus-style buildings. With an eye towards functionality, main elements of the White City include long, narrow balconies, light exterior paint colors, and small, recessed windows, all of which limit heat exposure and draw in breezes. (Air conditioning is still a necessity!)

These sleek, modernist buildings were erected in the 1930s, when German Jews who were members of the Bauhaus school of architecture emigrated to Palestine as the Nazis gained popularity back home. With World War II approaching, more and more European Jews fled to Tel Aviv, creating a desperate need for construction to house them all. The Bauhaus style's lack of ornamentation meant apartments could be built quickly, and today, Tel Aviv is home to more Bauhaus buildings than any other city in the world.

Bauhaus balconies

[image via Architec.tour.a]

[image via Historama]

Of course, not all buildings in Tel Aviv are Bauhaus, and the building I photographed below is one of my favorites. I believe it's "eclectic style" (but please don't hold me to that).

An eclectic-style building in Tel Aviv (maybe?)

Jerusalem is also home to some impressive 20th century buildings, but they're awfully hard to notice when 2,000 year old structures are everywhere you turn.