Culture

Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

Bauhaus in Germany

Germany has had a special interest in Bauhaus since the art and architecture school was set up in Weimar, Dessau and finally Berlin during the 1920s and 30s. European émigrés brought Bauhaus ideas and concepts to the newly established city of Tel Aviv. After the Hitler's ascent to power in 1933, increasing numbers of Jews fled to Israel, including Bauhaus graduates in Dessau.

Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

Forms follows function

Large numbers of apartments were constructed to accommodate the influx of new arrivals from Europe. The functional Bauhaus style was a perfect fit and so a slew of slick white houses with geometric forms, straight lines and tilted cubes mushroomed out of the sand dunes. A total of 4,000 buildings were constructed between 1933 and 1948 according to the Bauhaus principle "form follows function."

Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

Social housing

Today the expansive building complex by Arieh Sharon (1900-1980) still stands on Frishman Street. The Polish-born architect studied at the Bauhaus in Dessau. In 1936 he constructed a three-story industrial residential quarter encircling a shady courtyard in the center. Inexpensive at the time, the apartments were intended for working-class families and poor immigrants.

Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

Mediterranean conditions

The architects quickly realized that the climatic and economic conditions in the Middle East required different types of buildings to those in Germany. The new Bauhaus buildings in Tel Aviv were designed with large balconies and their balustrades were given horizontal slots through which air could better circulate. Temperatures reach over 40 degrees Celsius during the summer in Israel.

Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

Decaying heritage

Soaring temperatures are one reason why the Bauhaus buildings in Tel Aviv are under threat. High humidity, heat and exhaust fumes are eating away at the façades. Many buildings are in danger of collapsing and Tel Aviv is in an earthquake zone. A total 1,600 of the around 4,000 buildings have been renovated. The state does not pay for the work; it is up to owners to maintain the buildings.

Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

No financial support

In order to encourage the owners of the buildings to maintain them, they are allowed to extend properties by two floors. The cost of the renovations is then often past on to tenants renting the apartments in the buildings. Philipp Oswalt from the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation is critical of the system. "If cultural heritage is of value to people, then it needs state funding," he said.

Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

Eye on the future

In May 2013, the future of the White City was the subject of a conference organized by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Tel Aviv. Experts from Israel and Germany discussed how the two countries could work together to preserve the cultural heritage of the city. The Bauhaus Dessau Foundation is world renowned for its expertise in the field of restoration.

Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

German-Israeli partnership

"It took a long time but the city now recognizes the value of the heritage it has," said Marianne Zepp from the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Tel Aviv. Israel is said to be very interested in a cooperation. German-Israeli government consultations in 2012 committed to work together in "the research, documentation and preservation of Bauhaus buildings in Tel Aviv."

Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

Pieces of history

There is potential for a mutually beneficial exchange between German and Israeli craftspeople, a shared apprenticeship training scheme, and a partnership between German and Israeli industry in order to provide construction materials that match the original buildings. Soon more buildings can be as nicely restored as the former Esther Cinema - today a hotel -, which is famous for its Bauhaus charm.

Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

Rebuilding lives

Pictured here are the steps in the Hotel Cinema where precious materials were used. The émigrés of the 1930s and 40s brought some construction materials with them from Germany. After 1933 Jews were no longer allowed to export money so they purchased tiles, window shutters and other items to build their new homes in Israel. The Bauhaus buildings of Tel Aviv are pieces of German-Israeli history.

Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

Shared architectural legacy

The Federal Ministry of Building in Germany and the city of Tel Aviv are already in dialogue. From the middle of 2013, the joint White City Network will launch a research project, a website and a symposium exploring the subject. In addition, a permanent center for research and to promotion the preservation of the German-Israeli architectural history of the city will be founded in Tel Aviv.

Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

The clock is ticking

According to the Federal Ministry of Building, the cooperation should be an "example of good relations between Germany and Israel." But time is running out. The Ministry of Building sees the modernist buildings in Tel Aviv as "acutely threatened in their substance." And UNESCO has already warned Israel that the World Heritage status of the buildings could be revoked.

Author: Sarah Judith Hofmann, Ina Rottscheid / hw | Editor : Kate Müser

Glitzy opening for Cannes Film Festival

Take cover

Because of the drizzle, stars like Freida Pinto, who stars in "The Great Gatsby," welcomed assistance from umbrella carriers while arriving for the opening ceremony in Cannes.

Glitzy opening for Cannes Film Festival

Star-studded opening ceremony

Iconic US director Steven Spielberg (pictured right, next to French actress Audrey Tautou) is this year's jury president. The "Lincoln" director received a standing ovation at Wednesday night's opening ceremony and was serenaded with a performance of "Miss Celie's Blues" from his 1995 movie, "The Color Purple."

Glitzy opening for Cannes Film Festival

Coming of age

Bollywood star and grand jury member Vidya Balan (pictured left) says Cannes is "an opportunity to reach [Indian] cinema to a wider world" and showcase its coming of age over the past decade. The festival will feature premiere screenings of five Bollywood films as Cannes joins in celebrating Indian cinema's 100th birthday.

Glitzy opening for Cannes Film Festival

Men in black

"Gatsby" director Baz Luhrmann of Australia and US actor Tobey Maguire were special guests of honor at the showing of their film.

Glitzy opening for Cannes Film Festival

Vamp style

In a mysterious floor-length gown by Burberry, Cara Delevingne was one of numerous models to strike a pose at the opening ceremony in Cannes.

Glitzy opening for Cannes Film Festival

Godmother in white

More seasoned model Cindy Crawford also made a red carpet appearance. Like her younger colleague, she also sported a plunging neckline, in an all-white, floor-length gown by Roberto Cavalli.

Glitzy opening for Cannes Film Festival

Film legend

Head of this year's jury, US director Steven Spielberg told the press he was happy for the opportunity to take a break from Hollywood for a few days.

Glitzy opening for Cannes Film Festival

The decision makers

The jury also dazzled not only with their prominence, but also with their style statements. While directors Ang Lee and Steven Spielberg appeared in classic tuxes, Nicole Kidman ignored this year's trend of one-color gowns, choosing instead a colorful floral look by Christian Dior.

Glitzy opening for Cannes Film Festival

Let the jury decide

The 10 member jury, headed by US film director Steven Spielberg, is responsible for selecting the Palme d'Or winner from the 20 films in the competition. Jury members include (L-R), directors Lynne Ramsay, Ang Lee, President Steven Spielberg, actress Nicole Kidman, actor and director Daniel Auteuil, actress Vidya Balan, actor Christoph Waltz, directors Naomi Kawase and Christian Mungiu.

Glitzy opening for Cannes Film Festival

'Breath of fresh air'

Many argue that winning a coverted Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival is the only honor equivalent to the Oscar. Steven Spielberg praised the festival on opening night saying it is "a breath of fresh air" compared with the Oscars, which he likened to a political campaign. "There's always campaigning for the Oscar election, there's no campaigning here," the director added.

Author: Jessie Wingard / Kate Müser | Editor : Jane McIntosh