THE DESTINATION ISRAEL Bauhaus Chic Sleek, angular and white: Tel Aviv has the largest number of Bauhaus buildings in the world—about 4,000. An architecture geek ambles along this rare legacy By Prachi Joshi The Beit Ha’ir museum sits in the historical Carve out some time to Wrapped balconies Town hall of Tel Aviv, in visit Tel Aviv’s colourful are a typical feature of Bialik Street. historic centre. Bauhaus architecture. The Cinema Hotel brims Curved facades are “The Choir” by Israeli with film projectors and a treat to watch in sculptor Ofra Zimbalista vintage movie posters. downtown Tel Aviv. stands on a balcony of The Rothschild Hotel. t’s a warm Shabbat afternoon in early spring with clear blue skies. Everyone in Tel Aviv seems to have descended on Rothschild Boulevard, the city’s tree-lined central avenue flanked with early 20th- Icentury buildings, shops, cafés, bars, and restaurants. Fashionably clad youngsters stroll around, families push strollers past cyclists and older groups catching up for a chat. I’d love to sit on a bench and people-watch, but I’m on a Bauhaus architecture walk, so I follow my guide Graeme Stone as he pauses in front of no. 61. “Bauhaus buildings are usually characterised by minimalist, angular structure with small balconies. They are very simple, very unadorned,” he explains. No. 61’s flat roof was an adaptation for Tel Aviv’s hot Mediterranean climate, creating a common space for hanging laundry (and for holding parties); it also has a thriving garden on the rooftop. This year marks 100 years of Bauhaus, and the moment I landed in Tel Aviv in April this year, I knew it would be one of the first aspects of the city I’d discover for myself. (XXXXXXXXX) Building(XXXXXXXXX) Blocks For an architectural movement that was active for a mere 14 years between 1919 and 1933, it is astonishing how far Bauhaus spread—from Berlin and Brno to Chicago XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX and XXXXXXXXXXXX Copenhagen, and even to Burundi, Cambodia, and 90 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019 SEPTEMBER 2019 | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA 91 THE DESTINATION ISRAEL Argentina. But nowhere has its impact been as evident was one of the first cinema halls in Tel Aviv. It closed as in Tel Aviv, which is home to some 4,000 Bauhaus- in 1998 and was redesigned into the Cinema Hotel, style buildings, the world’s largest collection, earning it which opened in 2001. I’m impressed that the hotel not a UNESCO World Heritage Site tag. But it’s the story of only retains the building’s heritage exteriors but also how this movement made its way to Tel Aviv that many original design features inside, like the metal is fascinating. chandelier in the lobby and the dramatic staircase behind The Bauhaus (German for ‘building house’) school the reception. was founded in 1919 in Weimar, by a group of young students who wanted to create a radical yet rational approach to design where form follows function. Born In focus in the aftermath of WWI, Bauhaus was all about Our last stop is the Bauhaus Center in Dizengoff Street, linear geometry and a marked lack of ornamentation. a couple of minutes’ walk from Dizengoff Square. The Obviously, this progressiveness enraged the Nazi party, centre’s gallery space has a permanent exhibition, which preferred classicism and considered all forms Preservation and Renewal. Many of the Bauhaus of modernism as degenerate. The school moved from buildings had fallen into disrepair by the 1980s, their Weimar to the town of Dessau in 1925 and then to Berlin white walls turning grey with years of air pollution and in 1932, eventually dissolving in July 1933 due to Nazi neglect. “Initially they were being knocked down. But in repression and lack of funds. the 1990s mayor Ronnie Milo began earnest efforts to Its 700-odd students dispersed across the world, and preserve and renovate these heritage buildings,” recalls a few of its leading architects found their way to (pre- Stone. As I look at colour photographs of the renovated state) Israel. “At the same time, thousands of Jews were buildings (including several that I saw on the walk) and also fleeing from Europe to Israel to escape the Nazis, compare them to their historic avatars, I’m struck by how and Tel Aviv needed large-scale housing to be built close the refurbishment is to the original. “Buildings were quickly (and cheaply) to accommodate them,” Stone tells allowed to add one or two floors to the original structure. me. The Bauhaus architects rose to the occasion and But there had to be a demarcation and the additional used reinforced concrete to build two or three-storey Locals love floors had to be set back from the facade so that the buildings, which were painted in various shades of sun- Habima Square for original look of the building is preserved,” says Stone. Stark-white Bauhaus reflecting white (hence the name ‘White City’). the cultural hub Through 2019, the gallery is running special exhibitions buildings surround that it is. Dizengoff Square. The Cinema Hotel retains Rothschild Boulevard the original monumental is Tel Aviv’s beloved to commemorate Bauhaus’ centennial, including an stairs from the Bauhaus- meeting spot, lined with style Esther Cinema. restobars and shops. exhibition of German photographer Jean Molitor’s Walk the line /DINODIA Stone next points to the Braun-Rabinsky House at 82 F images of Bauhaus buildings around the world, which BR Rothschild Boulevard, a squat three-storey building with L starts in November. CH (CINEMA HALL), HALL), (CINEMA ribbon windows (a series of small windows set side by R Apart from the gallery, the centre also houses a shop side to form a continuous band) that avoid letting the that sells Bauhaus-inspired products like stationery, OTOSEA F harsh Mediterranean light and heat in. Across the street, JOSHI ACHI posters, souvenirs, coffee table books, etc. I’m tempted to S/ R R no. 84 was the first block to be built on pilotis—columns P buy many things but I settle for an expandable vase with that lift the building above ground to allow breeze to the clean lines and curves of classic Bauhaus design. As circulate and cool spaces. A few minutes later, we turn (STAIRCASE), I pay for my purchase, I enquire if the city has a Bauhaus _LUCIDWATE Y Y R into Shenkin Street, one of the many streets that lead A museum (both Berlin and Weimar have them and Dessau CSP BR out from the main avenue. Here, we stop in front of BUILDING), (CREAM opened one this year). “We don’t have one; the whole no. 65 and I’m immediately enamoured by the curved city is a museum, you just have to walk around,” says the balconies elegantly wrapping around the building. Stone cashier with a laugh. Having spent the better part of the (RESTAURANT) (STAIRCASE) Y Y ACHI JOSHI JOSHI ACHI R tells me that these deep, covered balconies were another R afternoon doing just that, I have to agree. (GREY BUILDING), BUILDING), (GREY A (BUILDING), (BUILDING), P Y Y E R BR R adaptation; they created spaces for residents to mingle in A BR ACHI JOSHI JOSHI ACHI and also provided shade to the lower floors. YCLIST), R C P We exit Rothschild Boulevard at Habima Square, a ( ES ES G Essentials cultural hotspot that’s home to the Habima Theatre, the LI PHOTO EFOTOSTOCK/DINODIA G There are direct flights between Mumbai and Delhi (SQUARE), (SQUARE), Culture Palace (officially, Charles Bronfman Auditorium), HOTO/INDIAPICTU /DINODIA PHOTO LI PHOTO /DINODIA P E F R ETTY IMA ETTY to Tel Aviv. G and the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion for Contemporary BR L CU R TOCK TOCK S ANDADAM/A Art. From here it’s a 10-minute walk to the next Bauhaus CH R Stay at the Cinema Hotel, which offers 83 spacious R highlight, Dizengoff Square. A large fountain stands in ELEASED/ rooms done up in jewel tones (atlas.co.il; doubles from LAMY R A N EFOTOSTOCK/DINODIA PHOTO LI PHOTO EFOTOSTOCK/DINODIA the centre of a roundabout that is almost entirely flanked OTOSEA U G YLVAIN G YLVAIN NIS647/`13,000). F S LAMY/INDIAPI AEL / AEL S/ A by Bauhaus-style buildings, stark white, two-and-three- R A/A (XXXXXXXXX) R (SCULPTURES) S I R I / Y Y EI OMENT OMENT R The Bauhaus Center runs 2-hr guided tours in English storey structures with covered balconies that, again, AR AW AW A M BR B O BR (bauhaus-center.com; every Friday; 10 a.m; NIS80/`1,600). S gently curve around the edges. Many of the buildings AL/ R _LUCIDWATE are residential or office spaces, but I do get a chance to UEL Alternatively, do a self-guided tour by following the G I PHOTO LI PHOTO M KOLDE PREVIOUS SPREAD: PREVIOUS explore one of them. Built in the 1930s, Esther Cinema BEN- RAFAEL XXXXXXXXXXXX suggested route on visit-tel-aviv.com/en/bauhaus-tour. MAKA DOV CSP 92 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019 SEPTEMBER 2019 | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA 93.