Page 62 - ISRAEL'S CRADLE

The final structure was the additional wing that was built after the establishment of the state, which faced Ibn Gabirol in Rehavia. This wing served as the Prime Minister's office until Kiryat HaMemshala (government complex) was built on Givat Ram. This was also planned by Yaakov Metrikin and is characterized by a rhythm of rectangular windows and monolithic walls that were coated in a stone similar to that in the other structures. During the War of Independence, part of the original building was blown up and as a result of the serious damage, tall fences were erected around the building.
Upon the creation of the state, care for the building was neglected and the central square became a parking lot for employees. This hurt the impression that the complex made upon visitors. In 1987, the Agency's administration and the President of the Zionist Organization, Arieh Dulzin, decided to restore its past glory. The area was paved with stones and a new garden was planted, which replaced the parking lot.
The National Institutions Building was the first modern public building in Eretz Yisrael. It was planned in the spirit of the International Style and Ratner won the competition thanks to the clarity and simplicity of his plan. Although the building was not high, it had an impressive massive presence. The main structure of the Agency had a balcony that allowed one to breath fresh air on regular days and upon which the leaders of Yishuv stood on holidays: For ceremonies, the most prominent of which was the bringing of the first fruits of the year, and on festive rallies – the largest of which took place following the UN resolution of November 29, 1947. The central square, which had a stylized garden, added a majesty to the building. The balcony resembled to an extent the balcony of the Kremlin, upon which stood the leaders of the state and the party during rallies and parades.
The entry into the complex was through a not so large staircase on King George Street, in front of the main structure. Facing the stairs, in the middle of the façade in a straight line, Ratner designed a small protrusion that marked the center of the composition. On both sides of the complex were curved entrances to the KKL-JNF Wing and the Keren Hayesod Wing, and the main entrance was between the columns in the central Agency building. A Herzl Room was places in the KKL-JNF Wing, which was eventually moved to Mount Herzl. Facing the entrance to the room to which Israeli children and casual visitors would make a pilgrimage, KKL-JNF Chairman Menachem Ussishkin planted cedar trees as an homage to the Herzl Cedar in Motza, which was in reality a cypress but misnamed a cedar. As you may recall from your bible stories, following an agreement with Hiram King of Tyre, King Solomon had imported cedar trees from Lebanon to build the temple, thus the cedar has symbolic meaning. Ussishkin also planted two cedars in his private garden in Rehavia and these survived for many years, until they were cut down to allow for more convenient parking for the current residents.
60