Huge bands of Cor-Ten weathering steel wrap and twist, move in and out, suggesting and dictating movement through this, the Design Museum Holon of Israel. Designed by Ron Arad Architects and located in the city of Holon, a few miles south of Tel Aviv, it is Israel’s first museum dedicated to Design and its many manifestations.
There is a total floor area of 4,090m²; it was built for some £11.1m ($17.6m), and all of this money was public funded! These huge bands which are the exterior character of the museum, are all-in-all over a kilometer in length. Created in northern Italy, they were shipped in parts to Israel for assembly.
The volume which is held by the iconic bands is comprised of two primary galleries which offer unique and versatile possibilities for an exhibition. The main gallery is some 500m² and makes use of Israel’s abundant natural light, which filters into space by way of layered ‘corduroy’ arrangement of light reflectors hung from the ceiling. Accompanying the main gallery is a more intimate 200m² ‘black box’ style gallery
Project Info:
Architects: Ron Arad Architects
Project Year: 2010
Budget: £11.1m: £2707/sqm
Project Area: 4100.0 sqm
Client: Holon Municipality
Project Director: Asa Bruno
Principal Designer: Ron Arad
Project Location: Holon, Israel
Project Architect: James Foster
Design Team: Marta Granda, Tavis Wright
xecutive Architect: Waxman Govrin (IL)
Structural Engineer: Harmel Engineering (IL)
Main Contractor: Green Construction Ltd (IL)
Steel Band Contractor: Marzorati Ronchetti, (IT)
Photographs: RAAL, Yael Pincus, Marzorati Ronchetti
Project Name: Design Museum Holon