Jerusalem's Bezalel Academy of Art and Design to build 200 discounted dorm rooms

Two six-story buildings planned to provide affordable housing for students to live in center of capital.

By DANIEL K. EISENBUD
Rndering of Bezalel's dorms370 (photo credit: Courtesy- Revelation Architects)
Rndering of Bezalel's dorms370
(photo credit: Courtesy- Revelation Architects)
Plans for the construction of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, to be built in downtown Jerusalem, now include two six-story buildings to house some 200 discounted dormitory rooms for students.
The planned buildings will provide two types of apartments, including single units and larger units for multiple students, the Jerusalem Municipality announced Sunday.
Construction of the dormitory project is estimated to cost NIS 50 million.
Average rent per student is expected to be approximately NIS 1,200, which will include maintenance. Additionally, all the apartments will be furnished and the two buildings will provide free Wi-fi, laundry rooms, a cafeteria and numerous cafes, the municipality said.
Bolstered earlier this year by a $25 million infusion of funds to finance the sprawling $100 million downtown campus, the school unveiled the blueprint for its 37,000 square-meter complex in June.
The campus will be located in the Russian Compound – between the Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Museum of Underground Prisoners – a site selected by the government, Jerusalem Municipality and the academy.
It is scheduled to be completed in 2017.
“The new campus represents a breakthrough for the academy, with a building that will respond to developing needs in light of the steady and significant increase in the number of our students,” said Dor Lin, director of the academy, at the June unveiling. “At the same time, it is also great news for the revitalization of the Jerusalem city center.”
Indeed, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, who will attend a cornerstone- laying ceremony for the project Monday, has lauded the addition of the campus as part of the capital’s “cultural renaissance.”
“The advent of a pioneering institution like Bezalel marks a historic turning point in the cultural renaissance of downtown Jerusalem [by] attracting thousands of students, young people, and artists to the city center.”
Established in 1906 by artist Boris Schatz with the support of Theodor Herzl, Bezalel Academy is one of Israel’s leading institutions of art and design.
Its new campus was designed by Japan’s SANAA architecture firm in collaboration with Israel’s Nir-Kutz Architects, and will feature multiple classrooms, studios, offices, two auditoriums, an operational area and various workshops.