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You are here: Home / Observations / Exhibit: Architecture in Palestine during the British Mandate (1917-1948)

Exhibit: Architecture in Palestine during the British Mandate (1917-1948)

December 27, 2016 by Bob Borson 4 Comments

While I was in Israel this summer, I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peek into an architectural exhibit that was about to open at the Israel Museum that focused on the architecture of Palestine, before the state of Israel became a state. During the period of the British Mandate (1917 – 1948) a generation of architects, displaced by the Russian Revolution of 1905 and the dislocations following World War 1, immigrated to Palestine with the promise of a new beginning, bringing modernist “White Architecture” with them.

Israel has one of the largest concentrations of modernist architecture in the world, and “Social Construction,” an exhibit on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, puts a spotlight on the “White Architecture” that these early 20th century European modernists imported to pre-state Palestine  – along with the social values this style reflects.

Architecture in Palestine During the British Mandate Exhibition | photo by Or Kaplan

Exploring another dimension of European influence on the evolution of Israel’s modernist visual heritage, this exhibition examines the significant impact of early 20th-century European modernism on the architectural language of Palestine during the period of the British Mandate, which came to be known in Palestine as “White Architecture.”

Architecture in Palestine During the British Mandate Exhibition | photo by Or Kaplan

The exhibition features documentary, analytical, and interpretive drawings that provide an alternative understanding of modern architecture as an evolving language, together with stunning archival photography of some of the iconic architectural projects of the time.

Architecture in Palestine During the British Mandate Exhibition | photo by Or Kaplan

Curator and Architect Oren Sagiv gathered roughly 40 analytical and interpretive drawings together with more than 60 archival photographs of some of the iconic architectural projects built between 1930 and 1940 during the time of the British Mandate, and I was able to get a tour of the exhibit a few days before it opened to the general public.

Architecture in Palestine During the British Mandate Exhibition | photo by Or Kaplan

Architecture in Palestine During the British Mandate Exhibition | photo by Or Kaplan

Phyllis Lambert exploring the exhibit with Israel Museum Director James Snyder | photo by Or Kaplan

We weren’t the only VIP’s getting an early look – while we were there, Architect Phyllis Lambert (2016 Wolf Prize Architecture recipient) was also getting an early look, accompanied by James Snyder, previous longtime director of the Israel Museum.

Architecture in Palestine during the British Mandate, 1917 - 1948

Located in the museum’s new Palevsky Design Pavilion, “Social Construction” draws on the extensive research of Israeli architects Ada Karmi-Melamede and Dan Price, co-authors of Architecture in Palestine During the British mandate, 1917-1948.

An English translation of the book was published as a companion to the exhibition, which explores not only the tectonic and functional aspects of this new architecture, but also the relationships among values, place, and form that influenced the formation of this new language in a new land.

Of all the things I came home with at the end of my trip to Israel, this book might be my favorite. 476 pages with amazing images, drawings, plans, sections and elevation drawings. This is a book that every architect interested in modern architecture should have in their library.

Architecture in Palestine during the British Mandate, 1917 - 1948; a look inside

Architecture in Palestine during the British Mandate, 1917 - 1948; a look inside

Architecture in Palestine during the British Mandate, 1917 - 1948; a look inside

Taken from the Foreword of the book, Ada Karmi-Melamede describes “White Architecture” the following way:

It was an imported language, made up of pristine, geometrical forms, which established itself  and then evolved into a local dialect. Mirroring the realities of local life and the ideological foundations of a new society, this language created an architecture that was fresh, optimistic, surprising and completely foreign to the local context. Stylized and restrained, White Architecture celebrated the paucity and simplicity of the local building materials and shone in the intense sunlight of the Middle East. This dialect spread quickly and became an integral part of the local urban and rural, devoid of the theological foundations or ideological agendas which characterized the adoption of modernism in Europe.

This architecture is a romantic, rich and multi-faceted language.”

Bob Borson meeting Phyllis Lambert | photo by Or Kaplan

Yes … I was extremely self-conscious about my wardrobe choice when meeting with Phyllis Lambert. Luckily, I had met her the night of Wolf Prize event, and at that time I was at least wearing a suit.

Vibe Architecture Tour at the Israel Museum | photo by Or Kaplan

This was the Vibe Israel group photo, which included James Snyder, the longtime director of the Israel Museum (who is stepping aside and will assume a newly created position — International President for the museum’s worldwide activities). We also had to include Wolf Prize Architecture recipient Phyllis Lambert (front and center, 5th from the left) – a Canadian Architect, Philanthropist, and Educator, and just to left of Ms. Lambert is architect Oren Sagiv, the curator of this exhibit.


“Social Construction,” will be on display in the Palevsky Design Pavilion, the Israel Museum, from July 7, 2016, until February 11, 2017 and I highly recommend a visit is you are able.

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Filed Under: Observations, Travel Tagged With: Book Review, Israel, Modern Architecture, Travel, traveling

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