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Under Construction: Alternative Spaces of Discourse at the National Library of Israel (Critical Essay)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2019

Jeremy Kargon
Jeremy Kargon*
Affiliation:
Morgan State University
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Abstract

A new building for the National Library of Israel (NLI), scheduled for completion in 2021, is the culmination of a two-decade process of institutional transformation. Formerly known as the Jewish National and University Library, the NLI has historically served simultaneously as Israel's official state repository, as the Hebrew University's central library, and as a “library of the Jewish people.” Like other national libraries around the world, including elsewhere in the Middle East, the National Library of Israel has had to grapple with accelerated changes in management of library collections due to the proliferation of digital media. More fundamental, however, have been changes in the cultural expectations about how libraries should function. Since 1998, the NLI has sought to expand its mission to promote not only scholarship but also cultural “discourse” among Israel's diverse constituencies. The architectural design of NLI's new edifice was intended, therefore, to do more than house the functional requirements of a modern library. It was commissioned to express through its design the significance of the transformed institution for the Israeli public. Towards that goal, a highly publicized competition for the NLI's design was held in 2012. The original two-stage competition ended in controversy after the architect endorsed by the jurors was dismissed. Yet a review of designs submitted by four Israeli architects in that first competition shows how public spaces, affiliated with public institutions, are expected to foster public discourse in Israel. Whether that discourse is cultural or political, contentious or contradictory, these alternative designs for the NLI illustrate common themes based upon specific environmental tropes, familiar across a broad spectrum of Israeli society.

Keywords

IsraelLibraryArchitectureCultureDiscourseJerusalem
Type
Curator's Corner
Information
Review of Middle East Studies , Volume 53 , Issue 1 , June 2019 , pp. 59 - 82
Copyright
Copyright © Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc. 2019 

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Footnotes

1

Jeremy Kargon is an Associate Professor at the School of Architecture and Planning at Morgan State University. His major research interests include representations of architecture and its depiction in media over time, across changing geographies, and within diverse cultures; urban landscapes; the use of graphic notation to represent non-visual experience; and the history of Baltimore's architecture. A LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional since 2006, Kargon is a registered architect in the state of Maryland. Kargon's recent work on “opticalism” in American sacred architecture after World War II can be found in “Seeing, Not Knowing: Symbolism, Art, and ‘Opticalism’ in Mid-Century American Religious Architecture,” in Modernism and American Mid-Century Sacred Architecture, edited by Anat Geva (New York: Routledge, 2019).

References

2 See, Neil Macfarquhar, “New Library of Alexandria Opens (Few) Doors,” The New York Times, October 2, 2001, accessed March 25, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/02/world/new-library-of-alexandria-opens-few-doors.html; Nabil Al-Tikriti, “‘Stuff Happens’: A Brief Overview of the 2003 Destruction of Iraqi Manuscript Collections, Archives, and Libraries,” Library Trends 55, no. 3 (2007): 730–45, https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2007.0000; Gillian Gibson, “Exploring the Qatar National Library,” Doha Family, Spring 2018, http://www.dohafamily.com/Spring-2018/Exploring-the-Qatar-National-Library/; Noor Nazzal, “Dubai to Build Dh1 Billion Library Shaped like a Book,” Gulf News, February 1, 2016, https://gulfnews.com/news/uae/government/dubai-to-build-dh1-billion-library-shaped-like-a-book-1.1663995.

3 Dahlkild, Nan, “The Emergence and Challenge of the Modern Library Building,” Library Trends 60, no. 1 (2011): 11–42CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

4 Some of the news has to do with complicated issues of literary provenance, competing claims concerning to which culture a writer's legacy belongs, and even wartime appropriation of cultural capital. See Leader, Zachary, “Cultural Nationalism and Modern Manuscripts: Kingsley Amis, Saul Bellow, Franz Kafka,” Critical Inquiry 40, no. 1 (Autumn 2013): 160–93CrossRefGoogle Scholar; and Lepper, Marcel, “Against Cultural Nationalism: Reply to Zachary Leader,” Critical Inquiry 41, no. 1 (Autumn 2014): 153–59CrossRefGoogle Scholar; see also Amit, Gish, “Salvage or Plunder? Israel's ‘Collection’ of Private Palestinian Libraries in West Jerusalem,” Journal of Palestine Studies 40, no. 4 (Summer 2011): 6–23CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

5 State of Israel, “The National Library Law, 5768-2007 (Complete and updated version),” Sefer HaChukkim (Book of Laws), November 2007, accessed March 25, 2019, http://web.nli.org.il/sites/NLI/English/library/aboutus/past/Documents/The%20National%20Library%20Law%205768-2007.pdf.

6 Moshe Rosman, “From Knowledge Culture to Discourse Culture: The Changing Mission of Judaica Libraries,” The National Library of Israel, October 2013, accessed March 25, 2019, http://www.yadhanadiv.org.il/sites/default/files/downloads/resources/From%20Knowledge%20Culture%20to%20Discourse%20Culture.pdf.

7 Ibid., 8.

8 Ibid., 42–43.

9 Ibid., 40–42.

10 Ibid., 26.

11 Ibid., 36.

12 Schidorsky, Dov, “Jewish Nationalism and the Concept of a Jewish National Library,” in Scripta Hierosolymitana: Library Archives and Information Studies, vol. 29, ed. Schidorsky, Dov (Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1989), 49–50Google Scholar.

13 Yehoshu'a Heschel Lewin, “The Appeal of Yehoshu'a Heschel Lewin,” Havazzelet, January 26, 1872; a translated version can be found in Schidorsky, “Jewish Nationalism and the Concept of a Jewish National Library,” 67–68.

14 Schidorsky, “Jewish Nationalism and the Concept of a Jewish National Library,” 66.

15 Ibid., 51.

16 Schidorsky, Dov, “Libraries in Late Ottoman Palestine between the Orient and the Occident,” Libraries & Culture 33, no. 3 (1998): 260–76Google Scholar, https://www.jstor.org/stable/25548639.

17 Schidorsky, “Libraries,” 263.

18 B'nai B'rith World Center, “The Abarbanel Library,” B'nai B'rith and Israel: The Unbroken Covenant, 1998, 9, https://www.bnaibrith.org/uploads/7/8/5/9/7859990/3covntbk_pgs9_12.pdf.

19 Dominique Bourel, “The French Manuscript Collection at the Jewish National and University Library of Jerusalem,” Bulletin Du Centre de Recherche Français à Jérusalem [Online] 5 (October 15, 1999): 71, http://bcrfj.revues.org/3292.

20 Ibid., 72.

21 Löwe, Heinrich, “Eine Nationalbibliothek für das Jüdische Volk.” Literaturblatt der Jüdischen Rundschau 1 (1905): 1–3Google Scholar.

22 Schidorsky, Dov, “Germany in the Holy Land: Its Involvement and Impact on the Development in Palestine and Israel,” Libri 49 (1999): 31CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

23 Dolev, Diana, The Planning and Building of the Hebrew University, 1919–1948 (Lanham: Lexington Books, 2016), 71–75Google Scholar.

24 Michael Feldman et al., “The Jewish National and University Library: From Past to Present” (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport; Yad Hanadiv, June 1998), 4.

25 Ibid., 4.

26 Ibid., 32.

27 Ibid., 29.

28 Ibid., 29.

29 Yitzhak Zamir et al., “Report of the Committee for Changing the Status of the National Library” (Jerusalem, February 2004), 30.

30 Ibid., 39.

31 Ibid., 84.

32 State of Israel, “The National Library Law, 5768-2007.”

33 Zamir et al., “Report of the Committee,” 130.

34 The core of the National Quarter, the government precinct and buildings housing ministry-level government functions, was planned in 1949 in the vicinity of Sheikh Badr, a village depopulated during the previous year. Extensive development there continued over the course of four decades. Expanded plans for the National Quarter began in 1990 and included the area around the existing Knesset, several large public parks, a business development center, and the existing national convention center. Situated near the entrance to Jerusalem of the main highway from Tel Aviv, National Quarter is also adjacent to the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University and a complex of cultural institutions, including the Israel Museum.

35 “The Site,” National Library of Israel, accessed October 25, 2018, http://web.nli.org.il/sites/NLI/English/library/renewal/architect-competition/mishkan/Pages/nli--mishkan-migrash.aspx.

36 Noam Dvir, “Repository of Rivalry,” HaAretz, March 23, 2012, https://www.haaretz.com/1.5207754

37 Ibid.

38 Nitzan-Shiftan, Alona, Seizing Jerusalem: The Architectures of Unilateral Unification (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2017), 223Google Scholar.

39 Jean-Pierre Chupin, Carmela Cucuzzella, and Bechara Helal, eds., Architecture Competitions and the Production of Culture, Quality and Knowledge (Montreal: Potential Architecture Books, 2015), 14–15.

40 Bracha Chyutin and Chyutin, Michael, “In favor of Architectural Competition, Against Bezalel,” X-Net: New Architecture, September 13, 2011, accessed March 25, 2019, https://xnet.ynet.co.il/architecture/articles/0,14710,L-3088290,00.html.

41 Participants in the second phase would be compensated 100,000 NIS (approximately USD 27,000) for their work. Despite the ostensible anonymity of the judging at the second stage, the identities of the twelve competing architects would nevertheless be known at that time.

42 “Press Release: National Library Construction Company Appoints Judges for the Architecture Competition” (National Library Construction Company, Ltd., February 12, 2012): http://web.nli.org.il/sites/NLI/English/library/renewal/architect-competition/Documents/press%20release-Yad%20Hanadiv-dl.pdf.

43 Merav Moran, “Architect Dan Eitan: ‘Yad Hanadiv shook the court system,’” Globus, January 7, 2013, accessed March 25, 2019, https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1000811944.

44 Lipstadt, Hélène, ed., The Experimental Tradition (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1989), 9Google Scholar.

45 “Press Release: Round I of the National Library of Israel's Design Competition Has Concluded; Four Israeli Architects Chosen to Continue to Round II; Four Other Architects Win Honorable Mention” (National Library Construction Company, Ltd., May 2012), 1–2 the judges cited the projects of four other design teams as “particularly impressive”: Meira Efrat-Kowalsky (with Wiel Arets and Zvi Efrat); Peter Keinan, Yuval Amitzi and Lichen Amitzi (with Dori Sadan and Ruti Orev); Yifat Rom (with Eran Chen); and Yishai Well.

46 Alison Furuto, “Israel National Library Competition Entry / Gil Even-Tsur,” ArchDaily, April 27, 2013, accessed March 25, 2019, https://www.archdaily.com/365810/israel-national-library-competition-entry-gil-even-tsur.

47 Ibid.

48 “006 National Library, Jerusalem,” Studio PEZ, accessed November 5, 2018, http://www.studiopez.net/?portfolio=project-5.

49 Ibid.

50 “About,” Studio PEZ, accessed November 5, 2018, http://www.studiopez.net/?page_id=182.

51 Yishai Well, one of the first-round competitors for the National Library competition, has written about the expressive character of this feature of the JNUL Lady Davis Building design. See Yishai Well, “Pilotis: The Statics of the Scream” (Unpublished dissertation, 2002), 44.

52 “The National Library of Israel,” Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, accessed November 7, 2018, https://fcbstudios.com/Work/view/151; see also Daniel Assayag, “The National Library,” Daniel Assayag Architects, accessed November 7, 2018, http://danielassayag.com/pws/gallery!1208.

53 See Alona Nitzan-Shiftan's discussion of Israel's “situated modernism,” in contrast to the “developmental modernism” characteristic of the 1950's and early 1960's, in , Nitzan-Shiftan, Seizing Jerusalem: The Architectures of Unilateral Unification (University of Minnesota Press, 2017)Google Scholar.

54 Rafi Segal, Yonatan Cohen, and Matan Mayer, “National Library of Israel,” Rafi Segal, accessed July 31, 2018, http://rafisegal.com/national-library-of-israel/.

55 Ibid.

56 Ibid.

57 “About the Competition,” The National Library of Israel, accessed March 25, 2019, http://web.nli.org.il/sites/NLI/English/library/renewal/architect-competition/competition/Pages/default.aspx.

58 Keshet Rosenblum, “Architect Chosen and Plans Unveiled for Jerusalem's New National Library,” HaAretz, September 13, 2012, accessed March 25, 2019, https://www.haaretz.com/now-read-this-national-library-plans-unveiled-1.5161255.

59 Ibid.

60 Ibid.

61 Keshet Rosenblum, “Jerusalem Official Demands ‘Zionist Architect’ for National Library,” HaAretz, November 6, 2012, accessed March 25, 2019, https://www.haaretz.com/library-architect-not-zionist-enough-1.5196614.

62 Esther Zandberg, “‘Political’ Brochure Leads Architects’ Union to Cancel Exhibit,” HaAretz, July 10, 2002, accessed March 25, 2019, https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/culture/1.5218201.

63 Segal, Rafi and Weizman, Eyal, eds., A Civilian Occupation: The Politics of Israeli Architecture (New York: Verso, 2003)Google Scholar.

64 Rosenblum, “Jerusalem Official Demands ‘Zionist Architect.’”

65 For an account of additional charges concerning Segal's design, including his and others’ responses, see Na'amah Riba, “This Is How the Farce of Designing the Prestigious Monument in the Capital of Israel Takes Place,” X-Net: New Architecture (blog), December 19, 2012, accessed March 25, 2019, https://xnet.ynet.co.il/architecture/articles/0,14710,L-3098894,00.html.

66 Riba, “This Is How the Farce of Designing the Prestigious Monument in the Capital of Israel Takes Place.”

67 Esther Zandberg, “Who Will Design Israel's New National Library? A Tale of Rumors, Conspiracies, and Cultural Treasures,” HaAretz, December 20, 2012, accessed March 26, 2019, https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-israel-s-national-library-or-nationalism-1.5276067.

68 Ibid.

69 Eyal Weizman, “The Nationalist Library,” Domus, March 28, 2013, accessed March 26, 2019, https://www.domusweb.it/en/opinion/2013/03/28/the-nationalist-library.html.

70 Ibid.

71 Na'amah Riba, “The National Library Competition: The Architects Discover They Remained on the Shelf,” X-Net: New Architecture (blog), March 19, 2013, accessed March 26, 2019, https://xnet.ynet.co.il/architecture/articles/0,14710,L-3100240,00.html.

72 Michael Sorkin, “The Trials of Rafi Segal,” The Nation, April 24, 2013, accessed March 26, 2019, https://www.thenation.com/article/trials-rafi-segal/.

73 Keshet Rosenblum, “Swiss Architects Picked to Design Israel's National Library in Second Competition,” HaAretz, April 26, 2013, accessed March 26, 2019, https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-swiss-architects-to-design-national-library-1.5239829.

74 “Press Release: National Library of Israel Reveals Detailed Plans for New Complex as Cornerstone Is Placed” (National Library Construction Company, Ltd., April 5, 2016). Serving as local architect-of-record is the Israeli firm Amir Mann – Ami Shinar Architects & Planners.

75 The NLI's ongoing construction status can be viewed at “Building the New National Library of Israel Complex,” The National Library of Israel, accessed November 13, 2018, http://discover.nli.org.il/en/content/building-new-national-library-israel-complex.

76 Dekel Goodovitch, “The Rendering Lies: The National Library Will Remain Empty, so What's Wrong with the Old Building?,” X-Net: City Architect (blog), April 6, 2016, https://xnet.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4788229,00.html.

77 Na'amah Riba, “Interview with Jacques Herzog, the Star Architect behind Israel's New National Library,” HaAretz, May 16, 2016, accessed March 26, 2019, https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/culture/.premium.MAGAZINE-interview-with-the-star-architect-behind-israel-s-new-national-library-1.5383796.

78 Harlap, Amiram, New Israeli Architecture (East Brunswick: Associated University Presses, 1982), 244Google Scholar.

79 Moran, “Architect Dan Eitan.”

80 “Abbas to Convert Would-Be Presidential Palace into National Library,” Ma'an News Agency, September 4, 2017, accessed March 26, 2019, https://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=778875.

81 Liad Osmo, “Abbas's Ramallah Palace to Be Turned into a National Library,” Y-Net News, August 30, 2017, https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5009712,00.html.

82 Ibid.