Bank of Israel, Jerusalem

The Bank of Israel building is part of Kiryat HaMemshala complex. The building was planned in the late 1970's by architects Arie Sharon and Eldar Sharon, and Luis Labaton as the head engineer, behalf of Oscar Sircovich, civil engineers office

The main building,with area of 20,000 sq meters, resembles an elongated, upside-down pyramid.

In the center, an atrium divides the building into two longitudinal wings. The space is covered with a light glass roof. Hidden balconies are located on the top floor. 

The building consists of office floors, work spaces, a dining room, a library and safe deposit rooms in the basement of the bank. The seventh floor houses, among others, the governor's office.

Because of the building's unique structure, the structural concrete was pre-stressed with cables, without expansion joints. The building floors protrude outwards, and are supported by a system of beams and columns that are located on the exterior of the building. Since the columns rise at an angle, they were pre-stressed in order to create a durable inflexible frame also supporting against horizontal loads. The building is covered with stone.

The renovation program that is now being led by architect Zvi Dunski,and Labaton and Partners engineers, takes into account the complicated structure of the building. The execution of the renovation is strictly supervised by the engineers to prevent undermining of the building's stability. Moreover, this renovation allows for reinforcement of the building's structure as needed, and adjusting it where possible to conform to current standards.