Bezalel Academy of Art and Design

The project, as initially designed by the winner of an international competition, included 50,000 square meters of studio halls, workshops, master's classes, offices, auditoriums, etc.
 

The project was divided into two main structures connected by an underground system of passageways and other infrastructure. Underneath them, an underground one story parking lot.

The buildings' design called for reinforced concrete with stone veneer laid horizontally. The building façades are pierced by rectangular windows, of different sizes and in random locations, which are partly covered in stone lamella, letting in natural light and vistas of the city. The building was planned mostly as a green building according to European standards. For example, the roofs of the northern building were planned to accommodate gardens.

The construction of most of the ceilings of the main buildings was planned from pre-stressed reinforced concrete without rafters, mostly to act as a framework to connect the walls which are the main support.

• At the client's request, the architects in this project were replaced by Kazuyo Sejima & Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA, from Tokyo, in cooperation with the Israeli firm, Nir Kutz Architects.