Page 50 - ISRAEL'S CRADLE

Michael (Micha) Levin*
In 1927, the Zionist Institutions decided to consolidate the offices of the National Institutions in Jerusalem, in a special building built for this purpose. Following the transformation of Jerusalem into the capital of the British Mandate authorities, the Zionist Commission had begun positioning its main offices in Jerusalem already in 1919. At first, offices were rented out on 12 Jaffa Street, the main street in the New City. Due to lack of space, additional offices were rented out afterwards, entailing great expenses. This fact provided an additional push to the aspiration to build a dedicated building for the center of political life of the Jewish population in the Land of Israel.
* Prof. Michael (Micha) Levin – Lecturer of History of Modern and Contemporary Art and Architecture, Head and Founder of the Department of Multidisciplinary Art in Shenkar (2008-2013). Taught at Hebrew University, Bezalel, the Architecture Faculty in the Technion, and was the Head of Cultural Studies in Shenkar. Formerly the Chief Curator and Director at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and Art Advisor for the mayors of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The author and editor of 15 books including White City: International Style Architecture in Israel; The Modern Museum, Santiago Calatrava; Richard Kauffmann and the Zionist Project; Monumental Architecture in Jerusalem.
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The Architectural Uniqueness of the National Institutions Building in Jerusalem