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August 15, 2008
A visit to the "White City"
City of Tel Aviv attempts to preserve its unique architecture.
MICHELLE DODEK
A highlight of my recent trip to Israel was the walking tour of Tel Aviv's "White City." It is the part of Tel Aviv that features the largest concentration of buildings from the Bauhaus, or modern, architectural movement. Tel Aviv has used the 2003 designation of these buildings as a World Heritage Site as a draw for tourists – and for anyone interested in architecture or the history of the development of Tel Aviv, it is an excellent lens through which to view Israel's most populous city.
Many United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are old, if not ancient, examples of cultural tradition or major stages in the earth's history. Ranging from the Great Wall of China to Alberta's Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, UNESCO has picked 878 "properties" around the world that are deemed as universally valuable for human heritage. Tel Aviv gains this status as a result of the development of its architectural style and the immigration to Israel in the 1930s: from 1931-1937, 2,700 buildings were erected in Tel Aviv in the modern style.
Bauhaus is one of the most important influences on architecture in the 20th century. The functionality and simplicity of most of the buildings built since then are direct results of this movement. Buildings were designed with workers in mind, which suited the Zionist dream perfectly.
The concept of modern architecture was taught at a school in Germany founded by a Jew named Walter Gropius, who later fled to the United States. The Nazis threatened many of the architects who trained in Europe in the 1920s and learned about modern architecture, therefore, a number of architects made their way to Tel Aviv and began building structures to house the huge number of immigrants.
The housing crisis was serious in Tel Aviv in the early 1930s, with the population growing from 2,000 people in 1920 to more than 50,000 by the end of the decade. Bauhaus structures were quick to build, as well as being inexpensive. They were always three storeys tall, in order to avoid the installation of expensive elevators, and the staircases had a distinctive "thermometer," which was a set of windows providing natural light and ventilation to the entire staircase. Some adaptations of the original boxy, airy designs were necessary for the hot climate of Tel Aviv. Instead of large windows to let in natural light, small, recessed windows kept the heat out and balconies with ventilations slits and overhangs for shade were added.
Altogether 4,000 Bauhaus buildings were erected in Tel Aviv and most of them have fallen into total disrepair. The stucco is cracked and discolored, many of the gorgeous balconies have been enclosed with shutters to provide additional living space, or the buildings are simply falling down. Of the 4,000 Bauhaus buildings, 2,300 have been flagged under the UNESCO designation for restoration. Preservation and restoration of sites is one of the objectives of UNESCO and it is necessary in Tel Aviv if the character of the architecture is to remain.
To encourage preservation, the municipality of Tel Aviv allows landlords to add up to three floors onto existing buildings and use the income from the sale or rental of the new space to pay for restoration. In other cases, air rights to build above a landmarked property can be transferred and sold to owners elsewhere in the city, provided that the resulting cash is used for refurbishment. Tel Aviv also plans to offer more interest-free preservation loans.
Walking down Rothschild Boulevard, looking at the buildings as a collection, the poetic image that Tel Aviv looks like a bunch of dressers with their drawers open is as accurate today as it was in the early 1930s, when a European visitor wrote down the remark.
If you are looking for a tour, check online at www.white-city.co.il/english/index.htm or visit the Bauhaus museum in Tel Aviv at 21 Bialik St.
Michelle Dodek is a Vancouver freelance writer.
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