THE KNESSET BUILDING : an Architectural analysis
- Ron Traub
- Jul 13, 2020
- 3 min read
Prior to becoming a tour guide some 10 years ago, I was an architect for a long period of time. Consequently I have a special interest in building types, be they classified as archaeological remains or modern structures.
The Polish born German-Israeli architect Joseph Klarwein (1883-1970) was the winner of a 1957 competition for the planning of the Knesset on Givat Ram. Dora Gold (1912-2003) was the interior designer. She was born in Romania, studied in Vienna and made Aliyah to Eretz Israel in 1936. Vigorous and emotional debates errupted between supporters & detractors of the plan.
Working on the assumption that all buildings have a floor, walls and a roof, they are in essence all related. However, this article is an attempt to distance the close relationship so often espoused between the Knesset and the Parthenon.
Besides both being iconic buildings which exploit an external colonaded façade, there is no other similarity between the two structures.
The Parthenon is dedicated to the city's patron – Athena, whilst the Knesset is dedicated to democracy. In plan, the Parthenon is rectangular in which the front and back facades are crowned with magnificent sculpted pediments, an indication that they superceed the side elevations in importance. The Knesset on the other hand is square in plan, insinuating that all sides are equal and the entrance is articulated with a relatively low cantilevered canopy which is subservient to the facade.
Allow me to divert the readers attention to some of the principles adopted by the "Modern Movement", an architectural movement which dominated the early & mid 20th century. The modern movement was a generic term used to include a number of architectural styles that included the proponents of both Bauhaus & Brutalist architecture. Some of the major architects of this period were Walter Gropius (1883-1969) & Le Corbusier (1887-1965). These principles included the following:
The use of modern materials.
The elimination of ornament.
Cubic or cylindrical shapes.
Flat roofs.
Metal and glass framework.
Horizontal bands.
Preferred colour white or cream.
Open interiors to allow plans to be loosely arranged.
Minimilist.
Brutalist.
The Parthenon is made up primarily of marble, whereas the Knesset is made up primarily of concrete, steel, glass with the external walls partially clad in stone. The columns of the Parthenon are extremely decorative, are fluted and capped with either doric or ionic capitols. The Knesset columns on the other hand adopt a brutalistic principle of raw exposed concrete and are simple in design. The columns support a flat roof which cantilevers beyond the column placings thereby creating an enviromentaly conscious shaded area – shade being an important comodity in the middle east.The Parthenon employed a pitched roof which ended at the buildings edge. The Knesset's square two dimensional plan is transposed into a pure and unrepentant three dimensional cube by the additon of the walls and flat roof, a form revered by the modernists. Because the Knesset roof is supported by columns it freed both the internal and external walls of a load bearing function. This allowed for horizontal glass banding belts to circumvent the building both at the top and bottom of the facades and enabled the internal planning to be far more flexible and loose. This in strong contrast to the rigidity of the Parthenon planning.
In conclusion I believe the Knesset to be thoroughly modernistic building, an appropriate style to represent the rebirth of Israel. It differs in many respects from the Parthenon and represents the very best of the Modern Movement. A modest building compared to many parliamentary buildings around the world. Perhaps those that occupy its spaces could learn a thing or two from the modesty of their surrounds. For information pertaining to tours of the Knesset refer to the link & email address below:
Email: Tours@knesset.gov.il
Ron Traub ( Tour Guide & Architect). Website : rontraub-tours.com Photo's : WikiCommons.
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