The Museum of Army

Har Eitan, Israel, 1998

The site for the competition for the Museum of Army near Jerusalem presented a considerable design dilemma.

The organiser's brief required the Museum to be built on the site that is part of the range of the Judean Mountains.

Building on the given site, whatever the merits of the design will be, will constitute an unnecessary intrusion into one of the noblest landscapes.

The alternative that emerged, exploits the particular character of the hill and the existence of a kind of a donkey path around the hill.

The Museum took the form of a large two storey high "tube" inserted under the surface of the hill. The position and direction of the "Museum Tube" was calculated in such a way as to allow its two ends to meet the circular road.

Both ends of the Museum are popping out of the hill to provide natural light to the galleries, the main visitors' entrance, and delivery entrances.

Skylights in the form of towers filter additional light into the museum interior.