The White City

Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 and developed as a metropolitan city under the British Mandate in Palestine. The White City was constructed from the early 1930s until the 1950s, based on the urban plan by Sir Patrick Geddes, reflecting modern organic planning principles. The buildings were designed by architects who were trained in Europe where they practised their profession before immigrating.

They created an outstanding architectural ensemble of the Modern Movement in a new cultural context.

Politics aside, the city is really interesting from an architectural point of view, each building looks like a pure white cubist Bauhaus prototype, The authenticity of architectural design has been fairly well preserved, proven by homogeneous visual perception of urban fabric, the integrity of style, typology, character of streets, relationship of green areas and urban elements, including, fountains, pergolas and gardens. The details of entrance lobbies, staircases, railings, wooden mailboxes, front and apartment doors, window frames have generally not been changed, though there are some losses – as in most historic towns.

The design of some individual buildings has been modified through rooftop additions even in registered buildings. Although within certain limits, such additions could be perceived as part of traditional continuity, to keep Tel Aviv as a vibrant, living city, attention will need to be given to ensure, the quantity of remodelled buildings is not enough to alter the urban profile, the original scale or parameters of the site.

We have been trying to design and build some sort of Art Deco building for years, A good place to start was project in London, the planners rejected it immediately, so we took our designs and fly postered them on the streets of Tel Aviv for passers by to look at, One chap stopped me and asked if I would take a photo of him with the design in the background.

All prints are 841 mm x 841 mm – digital print and hand signed, Framing and shipping is not included.