A new high-rise building called the Freedom Pyramid will change the face of Jerusalem’s downtown area. The project, conceived by architects Daniel Libeskind and Yigal Levi, will see a multi-purpose tower comprising commercial shopping and residential units atop the old Eden theater.
The idea for a high-rise at this location, adjacent to Mahaneh Yehuda market, first hit headlines in 2011. But a Jerusalem municipal committee only now approved the construction.
— israel21c.org
Correction: Studio Daniel Libeskind has informed us that the correct project title is "The Pyramid." The incorrect title "Freedom Pyramid" has been the result of an unauthorized press leak.
Studio Daniel Libeskind also provided us with new renderings of the project as well as some more information about The Pyramid:
The Jerusalem Municipality approves a mixed-use tower designed by Studio Libeskind (New York/Milan/Zurich) in conjunction with local architect Yigal Levi.
Located adjacent to the Mahane Yehuda market, commonly known as “The Shuk”, in the heart of the city, the 105-meter, 26-story complex entitled The Pyramid will feature 200 apartments, a boutique hotel, a public plaza lined with shops, and a roof-top observatory and restaurant that will provide sweeping views of the ancient city.
“The Pyramid mediates between ancient traditions and myths, while providing a 21st century reinterpretation of that great form,” said architect Daniel Libeskind. “The design complements the context and gives the neighborhood a vibrant public space in the heart of the ancient city,” added Libeskind.
The complex, historic context was an important consideration for the design. The Studio chose a tapering form to allow maximum light to fall on the public plaza below and to create ample open space surrounding the structure. Referencing Jerusalem’s existing architectural language, the façade features a geometric pattern composed of Jerusalem stone and glass. The pattern and relief of the façade refers to traditional, local typologies while also fulfilling contemporary functions. At street-level, an arched colonnade connects the public plaza to the inner shopping arcade. With its many amenities and public spaces, The Pyramid is set to become an integral part of the neighborhood, servicing citizens and tourists alike. The project is set to break ground by 2019.
Images copyright: Vingtsix; courtesy of Studio Daniel Libeskind
In other pyramid-related news on Archinect:
16 Comments
Wait a minute ... Jews building a pyramid?! LOL
Miles, good call on the joke change.
...built by Palestinians.
b3tadine, false.
haha miles.....my biblical mind just exploded - Freedom Pyramid.....boom...shhhhhh....and the hand to head to explosion gesture
haha, finally!
Wasn't the ministry of truth a pyramid? Anyway the rendering looks intriguing, won't write this one off yet.
Isn't calling it Freedom ______ just begging for SOM to swoop in and overtake the design?
Freedom Pyramid, Jerusalem, Libeskind...this proposal is hitting a bunch of weird, divergent signifiers in my brain.
Correction: Studio Daniel Libeskind has informed us that the correct project title is "The Pyramid." The incorrect title "Freedom Pyramid" has been the result of an unauthorized press leak.
Oh heavens. Is this anything like when the team refers to the project by a teasing nickname in-house then that name accidentally gets included in an email with the client?!?
On point.
LOOOOOOOOL.
honestly, don't know where to start on the stand up comedy routine this piece will get. gettin in contact with me comedian friends, maybe one of them know Larry David or Seinfeld,i mean holy shit Amy Schumer is everywhere these days.......kids the moral of story, if you see a hot chick in a comedy troop hit on her....then again if i surmounted the impossibilieties i would or ruined her careeer......much happier being a drunk architect on Wednesday with a beautiful soulful half irish colombian wife....toodles
ohh-eee-vey! I thought it was a building that had been bombed at first. The arches at the bottom are super incongruous as much as I like arches.
Thayer, the grand arched arcade at the bottom is really appealing, at least in my mind as I'm comparing its potential to the beautiful spaces at the base of Johnson's AT&T Building and Graves' Humana. But you're right that it's so incongruous with the ripped-jeans appearance of the facade. It looks like this:
Those are Manolo Blahnik pumps, and freaking gorgeous, but the overall look is so trendy and in a few years will look out of fashion (also, tucked in shirt w/o belt? No, never.).
agreed. Swing and a miss. At least variety is the spice of life.
Libeskind struck out a long time ago. Repeatedly.
It's only a brand.
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