Check out this chair for two by Israeli design student Rachel Avivi as featured in Nisha magazine (Hebrew site). Now in her fourth year of interior and furniture design studies at Shenkar College, Avivi strives for minimal, modern, clean and functional lines in her designs. The chair allows for two people to sit facing each other - as if playing a game of sheshbesh or backgammon - to sit next to each other facing the same direction, to sit next to each other but facing in opposite directions or to sit opposite each other (on the outsides of the back supports) facing opposite directions. Probably more options than you were hoping for in a love seat and it doesn’t look very comfortable for snuggling. But practicality or cuddle-appeal aside, Avivi’s design inspiration draws from such Modernist and contemporary greats as Karim Rashid, Phillippe Starck, Santiago Calatrava and Mies van der Rohe.
Modernism certainly has its place in Israeli private and public life: Phillippe Starck’s luxurious Yoo Towers in Tel Aviv where the architecture and interior are both designed by this legend. And Jerusalem’s newest and largest urban planning architectural wonder is an amazing pedestrian bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava. Also called the Chord Bridge, the project is currently underway at the entrance to the city and will pass over the light rail - whenever that will be built. For some reason, nearly everyone I speak to hates the bridge project and I can’t understand why. I think it’s pretty cool and an architectural marvel. It certainly adds a nice aesthetic to the city, especially situated at its entrance. And of course it’s causing a bit of congestion but it’s for art, people! Then again, this is coming from someone who suffered with the Big Dig for a few years in Boston. And now that that debacle is done too, wasn’t it worth all that suffering for some alleviated traffic and millions of dollars wasted?
9 responses so far ↓
1 zevan // Feb 6, 2008 at 1:44 am
the big dig in boston killed a woman
when part of it fell on her car while she
was driving. And there are also hundreds of
leaks in the tunnel. There are many lawsuits
still in the court. The big dig is Boston’s big
disaster………what were you saying about Israel?
2 nikki // Feb 6, 2008 at 4:22 pm
i too like the calatrava bridge — i think it’s so cool to have one of his projects right here in lil ole israel! but i’m afraid to say anything to anyone since it’s been so maligned… but then, no one’s really appreciated tel aviv’s white city either until it became a world heritage site…
3 harry // Feb 6, 2008 at 6:42 pm
I love the bridge so much. Its really unclear to me why so many people hate it. Do they hate the construction? Do they hate something so modern in the city? Do Jerusalemites just want to settle for mediocrity?
4 Ziva // Feb 6, 2008 at 8:16 pm
ouch zevie, i was hoping to not jynx anything with my comparison! but i do think that regarding the light rail the similarities are there: too much bureaucracy, wasting of money, stupid mistakes that cost the entire progress year-long delays. Hopefully the bridge will soar above unscathed!
as to nikki and harry, i hope jerusalemites will appreciate the bridge sooner than it would take for the UN to get involved. they do seem to begrudge change more than any other cityfolk i know…
5 Israelity » Foto Friday #40 // Feb 8, 2008 at 5:20 am
[...] 8th. Instead of showcasing the actual foto, we’re showcasing the design via image. Thanks, Designist Dream, for the [...]
6 John // Feb 8, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Your pic isn’t of the Yoo Towers. The ones in the pic are the Tzameret Towers. http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/b.....ffo-israel
7 Ziva // Feb 8, 2008 at 7:58 pm
hi john, thanks for the correction! big oops on my part. i updated the pic here and will do so on flickr as well. thanks again.
8 John // Feb 9, 2008 at 12:44 pm
No sweat - Isn’t Tel Aviv architecture cool!!! I miss living in such a creative place!
9 Play it again, Santiago Calatrava: Jerusalem’s Chord Bridge // Apr 30, 2008 at 7:46 pm
[...] I love the bridge. Driving into Jerusalem, the harp-like steel suspension bridge pierces through the [...]
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