Carmel Academic Center, Haifa, Israel
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 | Carmel Academic Center |
| Designer | Knafo Klimor Architects, Haifa, Israel |
| Location | Haifa, Israel |
| Date | |
| Building Type | School and Academic |
| Context | Urban |
| Street Address | |
| Notes |
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| Building Details | |
| Client | Carmel Academic Center |
| Area | 3000 sq.m. |
| Stories | 3 |
| Site | Downtown Haifa |
| Program | Academic- Lecture Halls, Library, Classrooms |
Haifa's downtown and port area was conceived and built under the British mandate in Israel in the 1930's. The modernization of the port and Haifa downtown development left a large part of the area neglected for some decades. The recent renewal initiative, lead by the Haifa municipality, calls for the revision of this old area by introducing academic uses, inspiring the idea of refurbishing existing deserted buildings. Following the introduction of this urban concept the Carmel Academy found its new address within an old neglected warehouse slated to be converted into an academic institution. The very simple existing geometrical box was kept and now houses classrooms, a library and seminar rooms and administration in a building of 3 stories with an area of approximately 3,000 sq. m.
A central atrium that allows social activities and gatherings in a calm atmosphere was designed to create a sense of orientation in the building and to let natural light penetrate into its inner spaces.
The façade of the building is clad with digitally printed glass panels that display a gallery of iconic figures such as writers, poets, architects and actors who have contributed to Israeli culture. This architectural gesture enhances the purpose of the building as an academic institution and carries its concept and vision onto its exterior envelope. The glass panels were clad to the structure through a simple system of aluminium spider elements with open joints. At night the façade is illuminated by a LED system hidden behind the glass panels, creating a unique impression of the building, like an urban lighthouse in Haifa's downtown, restoring the memory of its historical role.
The illuminating envelope provides the structure, which had been neglected and decaying, an element of rejuvenation incorporated into a gesture to local culture. The project, thanks to its unusual design, has become an iconic building in the renewing port campus area.
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