National Library of Israel - Jerusalem

Location: Museums City - Jerusalem, Israel

Area: Floors: 45,000 sqm. Landscaping: 16,000 sqm.

Principal Levels: 8.

Use: National Library, Conventions Center, Exhibition Space, Public Squares and Garden.

Team: Nira Reichman Architects AIA Ltd.- Nira Reichman, Dany Kaczor, David Kohan, Ori Ronen.

Year: 2012.

Hebrew scripts, scripture, lettering and calligraphy form the essence of the Israeli National Library, side by side with writings of Middle-Eastern cultures in whole, and Islamic writings in particular. As Israel is the sole national entity where Hebrew is declared an official language, as well as the only locale where Hebrew is used for all communicational purposes on a daily basis, one may find it desirable to manifest the uniqueness of both the Hebrew lettering and the linkage between language-locale-people, through the design of the building most symbolically and functionally associated with Hebrew worldwide. Through use of shape, material and space, the proposed design strives to demonstrate this idea.

The building's central wing is shaped after the typography of the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet – "Aleph": ""א in its capital form. On an urban level, this allows the correct constitution of open squares facing the Knesset and The Hebrew University, as well as good pivoting of the building in the directions of The Supreme Court and The Israel Museum. These manipulations produce interesting viewpoints from the green-rooftops promenade towards significant monuments of the Government and Museums. On an organizational level, one leading concept in function distribution in the proposed design is the allocation of communal spaces and display areas in the central stem of the letter, on both ends of which entrances to the building from Rupin and Kaplan streets are fixed. In effect a space that can be regarded as a covered street inside the building is formed. To the south of the central stem, Reading and Research Department is located, directly above the Archives. The four branches of the collection: Israel-Judaism, Middle East-Islam, Social Sciences and Rare Items are placed vis-à-vis around a covered courtyard. To the north of the central stem, around an open courtyard and above technical rooms and parking, Library Processes Department and Education and Culture Department are located. Activities taking place inside the different departments can be viewed from the central stem without disrupting them, this adding a theatrical atmosphere to the foyers. Expectedly, all entrances to the different departments are from the central stem, which allows independent operating hours to each. Moreover, both restaurants, first of which located on ground level in adjacent to the northern façade, the second located aside the publicly accessible rooftops promenade, have direct entrances from the outside.

In order to intensify the physical presence of Hebrew typography in the design, cuttings in shapes that follow Paleo-Hebrew alphabet compose a pattern of perforation on the external skin in a double skin system of which the building shell is made. The choice of Paleo-Hebrew lettering symbolizes the long history of the Hebrew language. Favoring perforation upon carving or painting procures dynamic patterns of soft light and shade indoors, which magnifies the theatrical atmosphere mentioned above. The double skin system provides screening of the harsh Israeli light, which helps protecting the articles dealt with in the library while offering suitable natural lighting conditions. The degree of perforation is set according to presence of people and function behind the façade as well as the light/heat load on it. An opposite effect takes place during darkness hours, when the perforation allows the building to communicate its function through the light emitted out of the cuttings.

Through use of contemporary and ancient Hebrew typography, the proposed design seeks to establish a firm linkage between culture, the function of the building and its immediate and national environs, on symbolic and physical prospects as one, while not setting aside environmental issues, handled by means such as: ventilated facades, green roofs, size and distribution of openings, climatically temperate internal courtyards etc.