Mapu 5 Apartments, Tel Aviv Housing Project, Modern Israeli Building Project, Architecture Images

Mapu 5 Apartments in Tel Aviv

25 Jan 2022

Interior Architecture: Bar Orion Architects

Location: Tel Aviv, Israel

Photos: Amit Geron

Mapu 5 Apartments

Bar Orion Architects, a leading international architecture firm based in Israel and established by Tal and Gidi Bar Orian in 1990, today officially unveils its latest project Mapu 5 a square-shaped, new-build residential property located on the corner of Mapu and Yehoash Streets in the heart of Tel Aviv’s White City, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its extensive collection of Bauhaus and Eclectic Architecture-style buildings.

Unusual both in size and shape (1.3 dumans) three times larger than a typical lot in this area and some 200 meters (600 feet) from Tel Aviv’s Mediterranean seaside promenade – Bar Orion was commissioned to ideate and plan a new building in a neglected space in one of Tel Aviv’s most desirable areas. The disuse of the plot presented a fascinating opportunity to manifest a building that pays homage to the unique character of Tel Aviv’s Middle Eastern-Mediterranean fabric, all-the-while creating a new and contemporary visual statement.

Mapu 5 is built over five stories over a ground floor garden apartment, highlighted with an upper floor that is recessed from the front. The building’s unique version of “H typology” and angular shape is segmented with a “breakage” of the wings. This structural positioning is based on the guiding principle that the balconies utilize the Mediterranean sea views. This characteristic is inspired by the Eclectic architectural-style of Tel Aviv in adapting to the typically humid Middle Eastern weather, and which expresses the social, functional, and climatic principles of the city in addition to its design-driven aesthetic.

The facade of Mapu 5 exists as a contemporary interpretation merging the zeitgeist balconies of the early 1920’s and a dichotomous concept of a sunken or projected balcony, blurring the relationships between the exterior and interior of each residence.

This aspect creates a distinct visual language that combines the typology of protruding balconies that reveal private life to the street.
The typology of sunken balconies also portrays a feeling of intimacy, privacy, and a homogeneous connection to the inner living space.

Upon the initial planning stages, Bar Orion was tasked with a plot that is unique to Tel Aviv and nearly irreplicable due to new zoning laws prohibiting the use of connecting two adjoining plots. The design of the building elevates the aesthetic of the surrounding neighborhood, which is riddled with drab buildings differentiated only by the graphics on their facades. Mapu 5 creates a new architectural aesthetic of the rapidly growing city in unprecedented way, due to the a rare gap between the rights permitted and the structural volume allowed between the building lines, leading to an architectural opportunity that positions a three-dimensional treatment.

The result is an “object” that is more sculptured, asymmetrical and which frames landscapes by intertwining modernist principles such as ribbon windows, structured pergolas and the balancing the various parts of the building to create cohesion and equilibrium. Functional and environmental perspectives also play a role in the Mapu 5’s visibility and planning – with its proximity to the Mediterranean and its weathering conditions requiring framings are screwed, not welded, and windowsills that are concealed in plaster. In addition, HPL boards and aluminum systems were used for most façade surfaces, and when combined, emphasize the contrasts between the conventional materials of the 1930s and 1940s — which can also be found in the finish palette here – the Washputz-plastered fence, the white plaster and the mosaic castings in the inner spaces.

This contrast is another stratum of the experimental field that blossomed in Tel Aviv from the 1930’s, and
still bears fruit today. Mapu 5 represents architecture that is true both to the heritage and localization of
modernistic ideas brought from overseas and implemented in Tel Aviv of the 2020’s.
For more information about Bar Orion Architects

About Bar Orion Architects
Bar Orion Architects was established by Tal and Gidi Bar Orian in 1990. First recognized for its work in preservation, the firm’s sophisticated approach to additions and extensions of historical structures quickly won it international attention and a growing number of projects. Setting a high standard for the renewal of
the old city of Tel Aviv–Yafo, Bar Orian is credited as the main creative force behind its architectural reinvention.

Today, Bar Orian Architects is engaged in a wide range of projects from high rises to high tech bridges. The studio’s design, construction, engineering, and urban planning divisions enable it to continuously expand into new domains while maintaining and optimizing its own standard for highest quality.

Some of Bar Orian’s acclaimed projects include the Beer Sheva pedestrian bridge, the Brenner Compound (home to Tel Aviv’s regional center for the Ministry of Welfare and Income Tax Authority), The Levee historic villa and apartments, and the Graduate Student Village at the Haifa Technion.

Internationally, the firm’s repertoire includes such projects as the planned high-tech park at the foot of the Alps in Brosh, Switzerland, two apartment buildings in Brooklyn, New York, and hundreds of housing units in Katowice, Poland.