069 The New Bezalel Campus

Architects: SANAA (Japan), Nir Kutz Architects and HQ Architects (Israel), 2022.

An opportunity to become acquainted with the new home of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem in the city center – an impressive campus located in the Russian Compound, situated between historical landmarks and characterized by contemporary architecture that incorporates cutting-edge infrastructure.

The campus, which extends across an area of 42,000 m², was designed by the Japanese architecture firm, SANAA, a recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize and one of the leading firms in the world. Two Israeli architecture firms, Nir Kutz and HQ, also collaborated on the project. Now that the construction is completed, the Academy is once again a part of downtown Jerusalem, creating a vibrant urban hub around it, where thousands of art, design and architecture students live and study.

There are huge workshops in the building, including the animation, sculpture, print and digital printing workshops, in addition to some others. They operate alongside galleries, classrooms, labs, a modeling workshop, robots and three-dimensional printing. The new campus also includes the Idan and Batia Ofer Arts Wing, as well as the Nathan Drahi Research and Innovation Center, whose aim is to develop the link between art, design, technology, innovation and science.

The tours, led by students from Bezalel’s School of Architecture, will talk about the architectural concept underlying the design of the campus – transparency and a connection with the urban community. They will also explain how the building blends in with the historical urban setting that envelops it.

 

The 30-minute tours will leave every fifteen minutes from the entrance plaza. Participation is on a first-come first-served basis.