Mamilla architecture

July 1, 2008 - 9:38 PM by

The best underground parking lot in Jerusalem, possibly the entire country, is underneath the Mamilla pedestrian mall, part of the $400 million complex that was in dispute for many years, but is finally near completion. Large, spacious and with smooth cement floors that may very well be cleaner than those in my own home, I’m thinking of moving in there.

But despite the luxuriousness of the parking lot, that probably isn’t the most striking architectural feature of the complex, which features several dozen boutiques, several cafes and other businesses in the pedestrian-only shopping district along Rehov Mamilla. The stores are also fine, natch, a fairly interesting combo of local and foreign shops that offer some decent options for Malcha Mall-weary Jerusalemites.

What is worth checking out are some of the mall’s reassembled buildings from the turn of the century. The Stern House, for example, was where Theodor Herzl slept when he visited Jerusalem in 1898, and now houses the Mamilla Steimatzky bookstore and an outdoor cafe. What’s cool is that in order to move and reassemble the building, each stone of the facade was carefully numbered in order to reassemble it in its new location and with more modern construction behind the walls. Given that the original structures themselves were demolished, preservationists poo-poo the practice as ‘facadism.’

But, still, it offers the Mamilla project a more layered, architecturally interesting look to have preserved buildings on site, and if the Stern House hosted Herzl, why not Steimatzky?

Tags: , , , , , , • Category: A New Reality, General, History and Culture 

Comments

4 Comments on Mamilla architecture

  1. Liza R on Wed, Jul 2nd 2008 9:21 AM

    2. I’ve only been to the Mamilla pedestrian mall once (and very quickly at that), but will certainly make an effort to visit the next time I’m in Jerusalem (maybe it’s time for a day off from work…). I love the idea of the reassembled, turn-of-the-century buildings. Does that make me a facadist? :-)

  2. Nicky on Thu, Jul 3rd 2008 8:23 AM

    3. Better the facade at least, than a brand new building that doesn’t even try to relate to the history of the location.

  3. Jessica on Thu, Jul 3rd 2008 9:15 AM

    4. That’s how I see it…or better than completely destroying the buildings, which used to happen.

  4. Fall into the Gap | ISRAELITY on Wed, Sep 2nd 2009 10:17 AM

    5. [...] yes, there was some keen curiousity about the opening of the Gap in Jerusalem’s Mamilla shopping mall, given that this popular clothing retailer — part of the Old Navy/Banana [...]

Leave a Comment





© 2012 ISRAELITY | Sitemap