Israel's first museum for contemporary design

In 2006 a centenary exhibition celebrated the life and work of Boris Schatz (1867-1932), founder of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Crafts in Jerusalem in 1906 and of the National Bezalel Museum (now Israel Museum). The exhibition was called The Father of Israeli Art, a retrospective exhibition celebrating the life work of Boris Schatz.

The first museum for contemporary design in Israel and one of the existing few anywhere (perhaps 10 or 15 across the world) was designed by Ron Arad Architects. Born in Tel Aviv, Ron Arad graduated from the Jerusalem Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in 1973. The link with Boris Schatz was both irresistible and now complete.

The USA$18 million costs were funded totally by public money and the new museum was carefully located in Holon, a cultural town of 200,000 that is virtually a southern suburb of Tel Aviv. The Museum for Contemporary Design opened in March 2010.

weathered steel ribbons wrap around the two galleries

Arad's split-level museum is made up of a pair of geometric display spaces, together with a studio design space for artists and designers. Outside, the building's massive and sinuous curved ribbons cling to the core in flowing  modernity. These sinuous ribbons are made from Corten (weathered steel), carefully fulfilling the principles of sculpture, architecture, design and art for the enjoyment of the public. As I am not instantly drawn to very modern architecture, I will look forward to exploring for myself how enjoyable it is.

The architects say that their five sinuous bands of coloured weathered steel actually form a visual key that carries visitors into the building, through it and then out, instantly becoming a string that ties the whole building together. But all good architecture should do that, I would think.

The two simple rectangular galleries are indeed there, once people get through the ribbons. Visitors move through the open-sky Upper Gallery or down the winding staircase, from the lobby to the Lower Gallery. These 750 square meters spaces will showcase exhibitions developed by international design curators. The galleries will have both contemporary and historical pieces from a range of design disciplines, including industrial, fashion, textiles, jewellery.

The museum says it is committed to pioneering a creative arena for the exploration and examination of design principles and interpretations. So the architecture is more than simply exterior walls to house a collection and keep the weather out, exactly as you would expect from an organisation interested in design.

exhibition area: The State of Things

The first exhibition in 2010 that looked very interesting was The State of Things: Design and the 21st Century. It presented 100+ products covering the contemporary practice, consumption and cultural impact of modern international design. The curators worked in 8 categories: New Essentialism, Mutant Remix, Of the Body, Social Anxiety, Beyond the Designer, Super Beauty, Craft Economy and Design Lab, showcasing objects ranging from ordinary household items to modern life-enhancing and life-saving technologies. All of the objects were utterly up to date, through either the materials employed, the concepts conveyed or the uses intended.

Will the external colours and shapes of the Contemporary Design Museum develop the same iconic status as the  Guggenheim in New York and the Sydney Opera House? I hope so.