
I already expressed my enthusiasm towards Tel-Aviv as a "non-member" three years ago. Now, I would like to comment it more in detail and add an obvious photo of a representative "white" building metioned in the official Tel Aviv - Yafo, Preservation Map and Guide purchased in the Bauhaus Center in 2017 (PHOTO - 23 Pinsker St., Mintz-Elenberg House / Anchor House, architect Pinchas Hutt, 1935-36) - the house is located in the buffer zone of the Bialik area, and it is kind of typical as seen on the massive stripe of windows covering the stairwell, but it is symmetrical unlike the classical Bauhaus. Another quite frequent feature is that the original balconies were covered by windows with shutters.
I was on a one week stay in Tel-Aviv in 2017 and spent at least 3 days by walking in the wider area of Tel-Aviv spanning from the old Yafo/Jaffa, Neve Zedek, Red City, Lev Hayir and The Carmel Market, White City to the newest Northern White City. The mentioned clusters also represent the successive growing and development from ancient Yafo to the modern capital of the Jewish Nation. The inscribed clusters (A - central White City around Dizengoff and Habima squares, B - Rothschild Avenue area, C - Bialik Area) with surrounding buffer zone were built in 30s-40s of 20th Century in the uniform and coherent style inspired by Bauhaus, Le Corbusier and Erich Mendelsohn. However, Tel-Aviv is not a museum but living organic structure, it means that Tel-Aviv is not pristine whitish. I have no problem with that, and take WHITE as a title, not as a feature. It is unbelievable that the idea of Sionism expressed itself in the ensamble of almost 4000 buildings in the coherent international style (around 1000 buildings are protected).
Something similar happened also in my homeland Czechia in the city of Brno during 20s-30s, when old medieval and textile industry town with 70 thousands inhabitans turned into the quarter of a million metropolis of Moravia, and there is WHS Tugenthat villa among other modern buildings...
My impressions:
(1) I was accomodated in Shenkin street located in the buffer zone between Rothschield and Bialik. The area is not built in the uniform style, but I liked for example the square at the intersection of Shenkin, Alenby and HaMelekh George inspired by Erich Mendelsohn architecture.
(2) Bialik area is a quiet residential neighborhood, quite interesting, but I like other parts more.
(3) Rothschild Avenue is busy street but I enjoyed especially walking in the green alley in the middle - it is a popular spot for modern locals and gay couples with their kids on Saturday afternoons. It contains great examples of the international style.
(4) I liked the area around Habima square with beautiful but modern Yaakov garden.
(5) The Dizengoff square was unfortunately under reconstruction in 2017... but there are iconic modern buildings all around.
(6) I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and late lunch on the Masaryk square located in Dizengoff core zone. There are not many exceptional buildings, but it is called after the first president of Czechoslovakia Tomáš Masaryk.
(7) I also liked parts of Tel-Aviv outside the core&buffer zones especially Southern part of Rothschild and Neve Zedek neighborhood. The old Yafo is also nice but not exceptional as compared to other ancient towns in Mediterranean.
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