Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I call architecture 'petrified music'


This morning I made the trek from Jerusalem to Northern Tel Aviv to attend Jeff Pulver's Social Networking breakfast, and while I originally intended this post to be about that, it took another turn completely when visiting my brother's office in the Round Tower of the Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv. The breakfast itself was interesting, though overwhelming for an anthrophobe (misanthrope?) like myself. I did talk to some people and hopefully made some good contacts. I did not actually hear Jeff speak, but he did say that he believes that email will be gone in 10-15 years. Which I can believe; these days I use mostly other social media to communicate. But I digress, the Azrieli Center is an office complex named for developer David Azrieli and originally designed by architect Eli Attiyah but after a falling out completed by the Tel Aviv firm of Moore Yaski Sivan Architects.
I think The Center is a very interesting example of modern Israeli architecture. It is a complex of three skyscrapers connected in the center by a shopping mall. The Round Tower is the tallest, with 49 storeys and is the second tallest building in Israel. (the Moshe Aviv Tower in Ramat Gan surpassed it in 2001). The Triangular Tower has 46 storeys and the Square Tower is the shortest at 42 storeys.
What I found fascinating about it is the effect it has from different perspectives. Seen from afar while looking at the Tel Aviv skyline, it looks so beautiful in the simplicity of three basic shapes, which I am imagine is the effect one might get from a bird's-eye view. Then, once inside the center, you see the close-up convergence of lines and angles, which is more complex, yet maintains the same beautiful simplicity.

2 comments:

  1. Beautiful simplicity is right! It is hard for me to imagine this in Israel but then I give myself away as being NOT a world traveler. I'm interested in your momentary digression mentioning the prediction of email not existing in 10-15 years - care to expound on that? If not here on your blog, perhaps in email?
    suZen

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  2. I haven't actually heard the entire talk he gave, but I'll let you know what I think when I do!

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