Tel Aviv skyline undergoing dramatic transformation

Ayalon Highway covering simulation, photo: Lerman Architects and Tel Aviv City Engineer's Department
Ayalon Highway covering simulation, photo: Lerman Architects and Tel Aviv City Engineer's Department

Dozens of office and residential towers are under construction and in the planning stage.

Visitors to Tel Aviv who last came more than a decade ago will be astonished at the transformation of the city's skyline as many high-rise buildings have sprung up, mainly alongside the Ayalon Highway.

Boosted by the billions in high-tech riches pouring into the city, the focus on high-rise construction is currently in the area around the former Tel Aviv wholesale market and Sarona through to the Azrieli Center and the Ramat Gan Diamond Exchange.

The decision earlier this month by the Tel Aviv District Planning and Building Committee to approve a plan to increase the "Between the Cities" project from 75-floors to what will be a record breaking 400-meter, 100-floor building when completed reflects the wave of the future. The project lies on the seam of Ramat Gan and Tel Aviv just south of the diamond exchange. Two more 100-floor towers have also been approved - Beit Egged on Menachem Begin Road and the Tel Aviv 2000 tower, although Beit Egged has been reduced to just 78-floors.

At present, Israel's tallest building is the 68-floor, 233 meter Moshe Aviv Tower in the Ramat Gan diamond exchange. That superseded the Azrieli Center circular tower, the tallest of the three iconic towers, which has 53-floors and is 193-meters tall. And that tower superseded the relatively ancient 36-floor Shalom Meir Tower completed in 1965 in the old financial district. Tel Aviv currently has 22 buildings that are 35-floors are higher with a half a dozen more in Ramat Gan while Givatayim recently completed the 53-floor, 195-meter Shahar Tower near where the city meets Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan.

But this number is set to double in the coming years. By the time the "Between the Cities" project is completed, the Moshe Aviv Tower will no longer be the country's tallest. Under construction, just to the south of the Azrieli Center, on the site of the former head office of Yediot Ahronot, is a new 80-floor 360 meter Azrieli tower. Azrieli is becoming the dominant office tower power in central Tel Aviv with the 73-floor 238-meter Sarona Azrieli tower nearing completion. The two 50-floor Midtown TLV buildings are under construction on Menachem Begin Road.

Dozens of other high-rises are planned for the area. Construction is set to begin on the 320-meter Keren Kakirya tower on the corner Shaul Hamelekh Street and Menachem Begin Street, and on the 220-meter high-rise to replace Beit Maariv.

Set for construction are four 48-floor buildings in the former Tel Aviv wholesale market, the twin 65-floor Fain Towers across the Ayalon from the Azrieli Center, and three 40-floor towers in Kikar Hamedina, among others.

Eventually, the high-rises on each side of the Ayalon will be joined together by covering over the highway with a garden roof.

Tel Aviv may still be far behind Manhattan and Hong Kong but it is moving fast in their direction.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 30, 2017

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2017

Ayalon Highway covering simulation, photo: Lerman Architects and Tel Aviv City Engineer's Department
Ayalon Highway covering simulation, photo: Lerman Architects and Tel Aviv City Engineer's Department
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