THE ROTHSCHILD BOULEVARD TEL AVIV
Rothschild Boulevard is the central street of Tel Aviv named after Edmond James de Rothschild on April 4, 1909.
The streets were designed to be the central part of the new city with many beautiful buildings aside, most of the buildings today are constructed in a Bauhaus or eclectic style and merged with new towers in between. starting from the Neve Zedek neighborhood and ending at the cultural center of Tel Aviv "Habima".
Today while walking the independence trail you can see the house of Meir Dizengoff, the first Mayor of Tel Aviv, the first bank of Tel Aviv, the home of the "Haganah" organization, and many hi-tech companies
Enjoy the local restaurants and bars during walking on the most expensive street in Israel.
ROTHSCHILD BOULEVARD BRIEF HISTORY
Tel Aviv was established in 1909 as a self-built residential neighborhood for the Jews of Jaffa [now Neve-Zedek, and only in the 1920s did it begin to expand towards Rothschild Boulevard. In December 1910, the "Ahuzat Bait" committee decided to name the city's first avenue after Baron Rothschild. The boulevard started from Neve Tzedek to the west of "Ahuzat-Bait", and its shoulder in the east led to an open area of sand. When "Ahuzat-Bait" became Tel Aviv, more houses were added to the east of the boulevard. Most of the houses built during this period were built in a mixed style - a combination of Eastern and European styles.
Rothschild Boulevard was a transverse street that crossed Herzl Street [the first street in the city], Ahad Ha'am, Lilienblum, and Yehuda Halevi.
Today, some of the old houses of the boulevard are overshadowed by new towers, but the architectural charm of the ancient stone houses, a large part of which have undergone restoration and renovation in an authentic preservation trend, has not expired. Besides the buildings of historic architectural importance and the museums, there are also cultural institutions, education, and financial centers on the boulevard. The fascinating urban show is joined by sculptures and works of art, some of the exhibits are permanent and some are displayed temporarily for limited periods.
THE SOURCES OF ARCHITECTURAL INSPIRATION FOR THE HOUSES ON ROTHSCHILD AVENUE
It all started in the 1920s when some of the younger generations of the residents of "Ahuzat Beit" was sent to study at universities in Central Europe. During this period, various ideas for fixing the world and creating an egalitarian society flourished among the young people of this continent. The ideas that dealt with all areas of life also influenced the youth of "Ahuzat Beit" who assimilated for several years into European existence.
Those who studied in Germany were influenced by the socialist concept that created a revolutionary point of view in art and design. Among the creators of the revolution in these fields, there was a school called "Bauhaus" for architecture. The premise of the work learned at the "Bauhaus" presented an innovative residential model whose purpose was to turn its back on building luxurious houses for the rich and designing comfortable houses for the working class. In the 1930s, when the seeds of Nazism spread in Germany and other European countries, many young people returned to Tel Aviv.
The returning boys were happily welcomed back to the city whose lands were thirsty for new construction. This made possible the construction of thousands of houses in the "Bauhaus" style and in an eclectic style that combines Eastern and European design across its streets in a span of about 15 years between 1931 - 1956.
The Bauhaus houses are recognizable due to the shape of the asymmetric square structure combined with simple geometric shapes. The windows are rectangular and long-sided like in factories, or round like in ships, and the facades of the houses and balconies are rounded.
Most of the houses rely on columns and the lower level is free for the gathering of tenants and allows for the separation of the living level from the street. Looking from above you can see the flat roofs, this surface was also inspired by a social concept to allow residents to gather and meet. The unique architectural stamp of the Tel Aviv "Bauhaus" was imprinted over the years by several leading architects including Aryeh Sharon, Zeev Rechter, Dov Karmi, and others, who created a building style mobilized in favor of the Mediterranean climate. Under their scepter, the windows were enlarged and raised and additional light and air openings were created from the roofs, the balconies were significantly enlarged towards the street, and pergolas were built on the roofs.
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