Two Towers and a Shopping Mall on Zangvill str., Netanya Center (2017)

 

The project was planned originally by Arch. Gabi Tetro who was forced to give it up, and in his place the developer appointed our firm together with Arch. Hugo Rosenfeld's, choosing our office as the one that actually will develop the project. We were asked to prepare the construction plans and the permit documents. The experience we acquired was large: our meetings took place at the municipality's legal counsel's office where we were exposed to the legal topics in the construction of towers. Since one of our towers is planned to reach the height of 26 floors, we dealt with new constructive methods, specialized technical rooms on the ground level and the planning of a subterranean parking three floors deep.

Our aim was to respect as much as possible the original plans, but since the coordination with the consultants was our job, it led to quite different results. We dealt with a variety of elements specific to towers: different types of elevators, condensation shafts, two staircases in the size of one, entrance to dwelling buildings above shopping malls, tenants clubs, double height lobbies, space for bikes and baby carriages, garbage disposal for 6'000 liters with a condensation container, storage and other technical rooms were a novelty for us.

The façade design attracted our attention a lot: in its concept and by creating many perspectives. Our starting point, here too, was respecting the original design: the contour of the building, the interior division as well as the placement of the balconies. Our intention was to "clean" the look. We brought forward the front of the balconies to the plain of the wall, creating by this, thin stripes, lacelike elements contrasting with the masses of the monolithic stone walls. We changed the window openings creating a design language that matches the one of the balconies. We created an element of "horizontal window – horizontal window – vertical window", pointing right or left according to the balcony placement. The above said enforces the total design language, and at the same time simplifies the construction process by standardization of the window types.

We designed the facades of the shopping mall keeping them simple made of glass to avoid competing with the design language of the towers. One tower is above this glass shopping center. To avoid the appearance of glass collapsing under the weight of the tower above, we made a gate holding it up.

 

Job Architects: Ophir Tsarfati, Eshed Yuval Levi.