Azrieli Center

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Azrieli Center (מרכז עזריאלי)

Location	Tel Aviv, Israel
Coordinates	32°4′27.56″N, 34°47′31.49″E
Status	Complete
Groundbreaking	1996
Constructed	2007
Opening	1999
Use	Offices, Mall, Public Space, Residential, Hotel
Roof	Circular-186 m Triangle-169 m Square-154m
Floor count	49
Floor area	150,000 m²
Cost	350,000,000 USD
Companies
Architect	Eli Attiyah, Moore Yaski Sivan Architects
Contractor	Cementkol
Developer	David Azrieli
Owner	David Azrieli

Interior view of Azrieli Center shopping mall.

The Azrieli Center is a complex of three skyscrapers in Tel Aviv. At the base of the three towers is a large shopping center. Each tower has a different shape, circular, square, and triangular. The center was originally designed by Israeli-American architect Eli Attiyah, and after he fell out with the developer of the center David Azrieli (after whom it is named), completion of the design was passed on to the Tel Aviv firm of Moore Yaski Sivan Architects.

1 Site
2 Circular Tower
3 Triangular Tower
4 Square Tower
5 Shopping center
6 Other features
7 Gallery
8 See also
9 References
10 External links

[edit] Site

The Azrieli Center is located on a 34,500 square meter site which was previously used as Tel Aviv's dumpster-truck parking garage. The $350,000,000 project revitalized the area. The Fain Towers are now expected to be built directly across HaShalom Road.

[edit] Circular Tower

The Azrieli Center Circular Tower, is the tallest of the three towers, measuring 187m (614ft) in height. Construction of this tower began in 1996 and was completed in 1999. The tower has 49 floors, making it is the tallest building in Tel Aviv and the second tallest in Israel. It was the tallest building in the country until it was overtaken by the Moshe Aviv Tower in Ramat Gan in 2001. The top floor has an indoor observation deck and a high-end restaurant, and the 48th floor is home to Mr. Azrieli's personal office.

Each floor of the Circular Tower has 84 windows, giving the tower a total of 8,000 windows. The tower's perimeter is 141 meters (462 feet); its diameter is 44 meters (144 feet). Each floor covers 1,520 m².

On October 31, 2003, the first annual Azrieli Circular Tower run-up competition was held, in which the participants had to run up the 1144 stairs to the tower's roof. Winners of the contest had the chance to participate in the following year's Empire State Building run-up competition in New York City.

[edit] Triangular Tower

The Azrieli Center Triangular Tower has a height of 169 m (554 ft). Construction of this tower, like the circular tower, began in 1996 and was completed in 1999. It has 46 floors and its largest occupier is Bezeq, Israel's largest telecommunications company, who occupy 13 floors of the tower. The tower's cross-section is an equilateral triangle.

[edit] Square Tower

The Azrieli Center Square Tower was completed in June 2007.^[1]. The tower has 42 floors, and is 154m high. It is the shortest of the three towers in the Azrieli complex. Construction of the third tower was stopped in 1998 due to urban planning disagreements and was resumed in 2006.

The lower 13 floors will house Africa Israel's Crowne Plaza business hotel.^[1]^[2] The upper floors will be used as office space, and will be rented out for $21-25 per meter. Following completion, 18 floors of the tower may be used for residences or hotel rooms if the development agreement is followed.

[edit] Shopping center

The Azrieli Center Mall is one of the largest in Israel. There are about 30 restaurants, fast-food counters, cafes and food stands in the mall. The top floor of the mall is a popular hangout spot for teens, and many online message boards arrange get-togethers in the place during national holidays^{[citation needed]}.

Due to high, constant terrorism threats, the Azrieli towers are, like all buildings in Israel, heavily guarded. The mall, however, is said to be the world's most secure shopping center, with 2 lines of defence at every entrance.

[edit] Other features

The large complex boasts an 8-screen cinema, a large fitness club, night schools and is also connected by bridge to Tel Aviv HaShalom Railway Station. A pedestrian bridge, completed on March 2003, connects the Azrieli Center with the street level of Matcal Tower. It is expected that a connection between Kaplan underpath and the project's underground carpark, which is one of the largest ever built in the region, will be constructed. When completed, the 34,500 m² plot which the Center occupies, will offer a 400-seat, open air auditorium.

[edit] Gallery

Triangular Tower	Ground level view of the Complex	Triangular Tower	Fountain at the Azrieli Complex
Sculpture at the Azrieli Complex	Bridge connecting foot traffic to the Complex	The Complex at night	3rd tower under construction, December 2006
The Complex, Square Tower nearing completion	The Complex completed, September 2007