While referred to as a single building, in reality the Supreme Court building is an ensemble applying urban principles to the interior, thus producing public spaces throughout. Half architecture, half landscape architecture, the Supreme Court building is deeply anchored in its site and reaches out further than its own walls.

Intent on realizing her late husband's vision, Dorothy de Rothschild first offered to provide funding for a new building housing the Supreme Court of Israel in the 1960s. In 1983 the offer was seriously considered and accepted.

Renowned architects from Israel and from all over the world entered into a two-stage competition in 1986. Ram Karmi and Ada Karmi-Melamede, siblings their own architecture practices, were asked to com-pete as a team. Their contribution stood out clearly against the other entries. Instead of proposing a formal and monumental scheme, the Karmis came up with a coherent site-specific building which roots itself into the land, continues the stone language of Jerusalem,and relates to its unique vibrant light.

Pure geometrical volumes are arranged to form a balanced composition and complex whole. A careful equilibrium is created between the gravity of local stone-masonry walls and the immaterial play of light and shadow in the voids and volumes of the structure.The Supreme Court acts as part of a larger civic urban ensemble and forms a gateway to Government Hill offering a pedestrian walkway to the Knesset.

While referred to as a single building, in reality the Supreme Court building is an ensemble applying urban principles to the interior, thus producing public spaces throughout. Half architecture, half landscape architec-ture, the Supreme Court building is deeply anchored in its site and reaches out further than its own walls. Four main functions are manifested in four distinct geomet-ric volumes organized by two cardinal axes. These axes separate the four main program elements: the library, the judges' chambers, the courtrooms and the parking area. The allocation of the various volumes within the building allows for a sequence of in-between spaces which are used for circulation, for the penetra-tion of natural light and for the transition between the public and private domains.

Paul Goldberger stated in The New York Times in 1995 that "the sharpness of the Mediterranean archi-tectural tradition and the dignity of law are here mar-ried with remarkable grace".

Anne-Catrin Schultz studied architecture in Stutt-gart and Florence. Following post-doctoral research at MIT, she relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and worked for several years with Turnbull Griffin Haesloop and Skidmore Owings & Merrill. She has taught at the University of California in Berkeley and is currently teaching at the California College of the Arts and City College of San Francisco. Richard Bryant is among the best-known architectural photographers, working all over the world. He is one of the few photographers to have been awarded an honorary fellowship of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Anne-Catrin Schultz: Rational poetry - the Israel Supreme Court building

Portfolio of other works by Ada Karmi-Melamede

Portfolio of other works by Ram Karmi

Plans

 Floor plans 20 - Sections 23

Pictorial section

 General view by day 24 - Detailed exterior views 26 -

 The route to the Knesset 32 - The main entrance 34 -

 The central area in the north wing 36 - The judges'

 courtyard 40 - The east wing with the courtrooms 44 -

 The library in the north wing 50 - The judges' chambers

 and conference rooms in the south wing 51 - General

 view by night 54

Credits