Herta and Paul Amir Building - City Tech OpenLab

Harold Morales Arch 3790 S14

Herta and Paul Amir Building

Tel Aviv Museum of ArtHerta and Paul Amir BuildingClient: Motti Omer, Director and Chief Curator

Project Team: Design: Preston Scott Cohen, Inc., Cambridge, MA, Preston Scott CohenProject Architect: Amit Nemlich Project Assistants: Tobias Nolte, Steven Christensen, Guy Nahum, Gjergj Bakallbashi, Bohsung Kong Lightfall Models: Jonathan Lott Massing in Situ: Isamu Kanda Exterior, Lightfall Renderings: Chris Hoxie Lobby and Gallery Views Renderings: Agito Design Studios General Contractor: Hezkelevitch EngineeringStructural and MEP: Scott Cohen, Cameron Wu, Andrew Saunders, Janny Baek; Competition Consultants: Ove Arup and Partners, Caroline Fitzgerald, Tom Dawes, Mark Walsh-Cooke Cost Estimator: Hanscomb Faithful and Gould

Project Schedule: First Prize Winner in the Herta and Paul Amir International Competition, 2003Design Development and Construction Documents, 2005-2007 Construction, 2007-2011

Project Budget: $55,000,000

Program: 200,000 sq. ft (18,500 m2) includes Galleries of Israeli Art, Architecture and Design, Drawings and Prints, Temporary Exhibitions; Photography Study Center and Archives; Multidisciplinary Auditorium; Seminar and Conference Rooms; Art Library; Restaurant; Administrative Offices; Loading, Unpacking and Storage.

Herta and Paul Amir Building

Preston Scott Cohen:Recieved his Bachelor of Fine Arts & Bachelor of Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design in 1982 & 1983

Recieved his Masters of Architecture degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1985

Cohen became a professor in Harvard GSD in 2003 and also served as the director of the Architecture degree program

He was later appointed Chair of the GSD in 2008.

In 2004, Cohen established a partnership with two registered architects, Amit Nemlich and Gilles Quintal. and became prin-cipal of Preston Scott Cohen, Inc in Massachusetts.

1 Main Museum Building2 Amir Building3 Sculpture Garden4 Plaza5 Courthouse6 Library

7 Performing Arts Center8 Lobby9 Book Store10 Coat Check11 Light Fall12 Gallery

13 Offices14 Library15 Video16 Connector to Main Building17 Library Stacks18 Classroom

19 Conference Room20 Restaurant21 Cafe/Bar22 Auditorium

Site Plan





Plaza Level Upper Level





Lower Level Lowest Level





Section B-B

Section A-A Roof Plan

Concept Model

Lightfall Concept

Lightfall:Referencing Le Corbusier’s ribbon window concept, Preston Scott Cohen designed strips of indoor windows around a open core. This created a ribbon window effect, but instead of the window framing the horizon, it framed the neighboring galleries. The position of the windows are mimicing the effects of light fall.

Circulatory Ramps:These ramps corilate to the existing levels imediate context and follow spiral like ribbon windows at the core.

Centered Galleries:The galleries are located in the center of the core and the facade. Preston Cohen explains his rational by relating it to the museums location in the center of Tel Aviv.

Triangular Pre-cast Panels:These panels are directly related and positioned to lightfall, which also dictated the location of the ribbon windows. The windows position extrudes out to create the buildings facade and the scape relates to the triangular shape of the buildings lot.

Cast-In-Place Concrete Interior

Precast Panel System

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1 Precast Concrete Panels2 Panel Support Structure3 Vierendell Truss4 Floor SlabsFacade Section - Axonometric Precast Concrete Panel Support Structure

Cast-In-Place Formwork1 Cast-in-Place Concrete2 Steel Pipes3 Bent Plywood4 Spruce PlanksFormwork Diagram

Lightfall - West Elevation

Area of Detail

Precast Concrete Panel Support Structure