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Exploring the impact of design in relationship with urban spaces and every day life is the Design Museum Holon, the latest creation by Ron Arad Architects, which provides a fresh dose of culture to the city.

Situated 5km from Tel Aviv’s Mediterranean coast, the city of Holon is embellishing itself as the new cultural centre of the Middle East and the Design Museum Holon is its first step towards this. Designed and constructed by Ron Arad in his native land, this is the first national museum dedicated exclusively to design. A new educational and cultural hub for Israel, the museum houses a collection of contemporary and historical pieces from diverse designs disciplines, including industry, fashion, textile and jewellery.

A result of the initiative undertaken by the city’s Mayor Motti Sasson and Managing Director, Hana Hertsman, who over the past few years, have been energetically investing in the development of Holon’s cultural identity and its impact nationally, the museum forms part of a series of urban-scale development projects. Architect Ron Arad was invited to create a new design along the lines of the brief written by Daniel Charny and Asa Bruno in collaboration with RAA (Ron Arad Associates) in March 2004, which was later updated in July 2004 to reflect the shift from refurbishment of an existing building to the construction of a new one. In accordance with the design brief, the museum was constructed to reflect its commitment to the creative and design arena. The highlight of the design is the hierarchy of outdoor spaces, exhibiting a dramatic approach. For architect Ron Arad the project augments his reputation, as this is his first architectural project on such a scale. The design philosophy of the museum encompasses two distinct views interwoven like a möbius strip: one is the inventive, intricate piece of artwork, while the other is open and logical gallery spaces. From the exterior, the museum reflects a tightly woven, sand-coloured dune of twisted steel ribbons. One of the most striking aspects of the structure is its innovative use of corten or weathering steel. The magnificence of the structure is partly due to the oxidisation of weathering steel to the right colour. This was achieved by the Milan Polytechnic Institute of Oil and Grease, specialists in developing steadfast colour systems for the automobile industry, who created an oil that could pigment hard corten steel. Except for the southern façade of the museum, five dominant steel bands envelop the museum from all sides, oscillating their way in, out and around the internal volumes. The rust coloured steel bands act as a spine for the building—supporting it structurally as well as defining its posture in relation to its surroundings. The horizontality of the bands layout is further emphasised by a gentle gradation of patina from the lightest on top, to the darkest towards the bottom, echoing the topography of the open terrain in the urban context.

The entrance of the museum represents a cave that has been formed from the underside of the main gallery, which cantilevers over an entrance pathway and a landscaped area. Entering the whirling shaped outer vortex, one finds a protected inner courtyard, providing a sunlit external exhibition area of 300sqm for outdoor exhibits and that serves as a stage for special event. The courtyard leads to two rectangular, proportioned primary galleries that adorn the museum, diversifying the space into alternative exhibition and education spaces. Measuring around 500m, the interplay of natural and artificial light, filtered through profiled concrete blades is the distinct feature of the first gallery, whereas the second gallery admeasuring 200m provides an intimate and personal approach between the visitor and the objects on display. Five corten or weathering steel bands wrap the two gallery spaces, leaving their east-facing facades open. In between these wider loops the bands form a figure-eight, creating a partially secluded courtyard. The main gallery is situated on the first floor of the east wing and is constructed as a high-ceilinged open plan box. The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) intakes and supply outlets are routed and positioned within the perimeter walls, in such a way as to allow the gallery’s ceiling to remain clear of obstructions or unnecessary fixtures. The ceiling is structured as a series of alternating inverted ‘T’ beams which provide load-bearing capacity, as well as frame the skylights and accommodate the artificial track-lighting and ambient lighting systems. A flexible grid of electrical and data outlets set within the floor, caters for the changing needs of various exhibitions. The main gallery is directly accessible from the loading bay lift and the curator’s workroom. The second gallery is located in the west wing and is constructed as a high-ceilinged (5m clearance height) open-plan box. The gallery is artificially lit, while the floors accommodate a flexible electrical and data outlet grid. Adjacent to the second gallery is the resident designer’s lab. This independent space of 39sqm provides a flexible workshop and exhibition environment, allowing partial exposure of the visitors.

The challenge for Arad lay in building a structure unique amidst the concrete landscape of contemporary Israel, at the same time complying with the design brief to create an iconic structure for design and exhibition purposes. The design approach for the entire museum is based on creating and exploiting the tension between an internal arrangement of box-like spaces and the external envelope. The larger gallery boasts of a vaulted ceiling made of polystyrene. From the inner courtyard, the external circulation ramp leads up to the main gallery entrance. Along its right-hand (external) wall, a series of display cases are mounted to provide a transitional exhibition opportunity for small objects. The west wing houses the education area, with accommodation facilities for small exhibitions and for showcasing student’s/children’s work in progress. The entrance stairway adjacent to the café provides a covered amphitheatre, which can be used for public events and/or outdoor exhibitions. Combining ingenuous and playful functionality with highly visual design, Arad has created a stunning piece of revolutionary Middle Eastern architecture.

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