Israel’s Design Museum Holon sports vibrant shades of ‘Awakening’

The Design Museum Holon in Israel is an award-winning museum designed by celebrated Israeli architect Ron Arad. The two main buildings of the museum have five twisting bands of corten steel in what appears to be gradients of ‘Awakening, the Asian Paints ColourNext 2019 Colour of the Year. The innovative architecture of the museum has a sculptural approach, merging creative and playful functionality with a visually appealing design. The Design Museum Holon is part of the Israeli city's 16-year urban rejuvenation programme, an initiative striving to make Holon an international centre for culture and education.

Design Museum Holon: Topography and Ambition

The primary part of the museum's external façade is enveloped by five dominant bands, which curve and meander their way in, out and around the museum's interiors. The bands are at times in unison, or apart, enclosing space, or defining it. The structure is the backbone of the museum and supports large parts of it. As the bands are never entirely hidden from the visitor's sight, they create a unique landscape inside and outside the museum.

The varying colour shades of the bands, and the subsequent weathering of the steel over the lifetime of the building, are an ode to the Israeli desert landscape and represent its topography. The striking colours of the bands also signify the ambition, confidence and creativity of Israel.

Design Museum Holon: Immersive Design Experience

Design Museum Holon's vision is to investigate the influence of design and the relationship of design to metropolitan spaces and daily life. Holon's Mayor, Motti Sasson and the museum's Managing Director Hana Hertsman initiated the construction of the institution by inviting Ron Arad to create an awe-inspiring building, which would offer guests an immersive design experience.

“We created a hierarchy of outdoor spaces so you walk in under the building into a semi-covered yard, where you have a choice to take the air-conditioned route or one exposed to the elements. The building envelope is not just a pretty space; it's also a structure,” says Ron.

Design Museum Holon: Bands of Identity

Asa Bruno, Supervising Architect, added, “We were able to capitalise on the potential space between the curves of the bands so that all the surfaces around the galleries and public facilities would fit comfortably in and in many cases, created bonus galleries. The bands form a visual key that carries visitors into the building, through it and then out; the bands instantly become a string that ties the whole building together inside and out.'' Design Museum Holon houses two main exhibition spaces and a number of miscellaneous galleries in-between.

一年一度的展览、博物馆的Cr的策划eative Director Galit Gaon and the exhibition committee, offer site-specific displays by global artists as well as travelling exhibits.