Bauhaus boom

Tel Aviv celebrates 100 years of the White City

German-trained architects brought Bauhaus design to the city a century ago; centennial to be marked with rooftop viewings, workshops, street parties and tours

Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center

Photographer Barak Brinker's view of Tel Aviv's Bauhaus beauty from Bialik Square (Courtesy Barak Brinker)
Photographer Barak Brinker's view of Tel Aviv's Bauhaus beauty from Bialik Square (Courtesy Barak Brinker)

It’s been 100 years since German architects trained in the Bauhaus style immigrated to Tel Aviv, eventually designing more than 400 buildings in the Bauhaus look.

Tel Aviv became known as the White City for its unusual collection of white, unadorned, balconied buildings, winning UNESCO recognition in 2003 as a World Heritage site. The city will celebrate 100 years of its iconic architecture with the grand opening of its official White City Center in September.

The Liebling Haus-White City Center is housed in the Liebling House, designed by architect Dov Karmi in 1936 for brothers Tony and Max Liebling.

The center was co-founded by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality with the Tel Aviv Foundation and the German government, and will host rooftop viewings, workshops, street parties and tours over the weekend of September 19-21, later serving as a resource center for both residents and visitors to the White City.

The White City Center, originally the Liebling Haus, designed by Dov Carmi (Courtesy Yael Schmidt)

During Open House Tel Aviv, the opening weekend of the White City Center, there will be tours of hundreds of Bauhaus homes, private and public buildings, with a focus on some of the best-preserved buildings of the international style. Many of the tours will be available in several languages, for free and open to the public.

A full program of the White City Center celebration is available online.

During the rest of the year, the White City Center will offer exhibition spaces, workspaces, a research lab and a café and will host events, tours, and workshops open to the public.

Most Popular
read more: