The new commercial center and the first public services building in Hadar Carmel

At the intersection of Herzl and Bialik streets lies an international-style commercial building, well-known for the mythical "Mironi" pharmacy that has been operating there for about 50 years (Herzl 29), designed by two Haifa architects.

Brief history

This is a complex that includes several buildings that were erected on a plot of land bordered by Herzl, Bialik, Hachalutz and Shapira streets. It was built by the Hadar Carmel Committee to serve as a source of income for its ongoing operations. In light of the events of 1932 that affected Jewish commerce in the lower city, the Hadar Carmel Committee decided to establish the new commercial center, outside the area of ​​Arab control. This step was a lesson from the events and also a step intended to economically strengthen the Hadar Carmel neighborhood. The cornerstone for the complex was laid in XNUMX, on land leased by the Committee from the National Fund. 

The planning of the complex was begun by architect A. Berwald, but upon his sudden death in 1930, the planning and construction were completed by architect Leon Wamosh. The building is an example of collaboration between these two architects.

The new shopping center

The building, designed in the shape of the letter "H", spreads across Herzl, Bialik and Halutz streets. The side of the complex facing Shapira Street remains open, creating a spacious interior space, which previously served as a bustling open market. The public services building, the first building of its kind in the young Hadar neighborhood, was also erected in this courtyard, a pioneering step without a doubt.

The ground floor of the building was intended for warehouses and shops, while the two upper floors were occupied by shops and offices. For a certain period, the Sharon Hotel also operated there. To allow for easy access, three pedestrian crossings pass through the ground floor and connect the surrounding streets with the inner courtyard. The part of the building that stretches along Bialik Street is characterized by a stepped construction, adapted to the slope of the street. 

The building's bodies at the intersections with Herzl and Halutz streets gently curve, mimicking the lines of the intersections. The rounded balconies on the upper floors in these areas emphasize the sad significance attributed to these corners. The building's windows are arranged in horizontal stripes emphasized by continuous cornices. All of these design elements are distinct signs of The International Style The familiar. However, unlike the stone buildings of this style, which characterize Haifa, this building stands out with a smooth plaster finish that brings it closer to the buildings of the "White City" of Tel Aviv.

Architect Alexander Berwald

Alexander Berwald (1877-1930) was mentioned frequently in the context of the stories of buildings in Haifa that we published in this section, as evidenced by the links below. 

It should be noted here that he was born in Berlin and received his professional training at the Technical University of Charlottenburg (now a suburb of Berlin). His first works in Germany included residential buildings, synagogues and public buildings, and were characterized by the style Art Nouveau (German Art Nouveau) and in search of a Jewish-German style.

In 1910, he was invited by the "Ezra" company to design the building that would be called the Technikum, later the Technion. He immigrated to Israel in 1912 and settled in Haifa. From 1912-25, he supervised the construction of the Technion building, which is undoubtedly the project most associated with him and also the most important one he designed in Israel. The building embodies his vision for a new Palestinian style, combining classical European architecture with oriental motifs such as pointed arches, geometric decorations and the use of local stone.

The Real School building in Haifa, also designed by Berwald, was designed in the same style. eclectic, who collects oriental motifs and combines them with European architectural principles. Another Haifa building he designed (1925) is the branch of the Anglo-Palestine Bank (later Bank Leumi), which has the same eclectic characteristics.

A. Berwald taught at the Faculty of Architecture and was its first dean.

Architect Leon Vamos

Leon Vamos (1895-1970) was born in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, and studied there at the Higher School of Technology. After completing his studies, he was certified as an engineer, architect, and surveyor. Upon his immigration to Israel in 1920, he was appointed Chief Engineer for the North by the Zionist Executive (the predecessor of the Jewish Agency). In this role, he designed many things in the agricultural communities in the north, including barns and dining rooms in kibbutzim, and institutional buildings in moshavim and moshavim. The first barn in Kibbutz Gan Shmuel was designed by him. 

And Amos is considered one of the pioneers of reinforced concrete construction in Israel. From his letters and reports he sent about his work throughout the country, it becomes clear that he conducted experiments with the composition of concrete and the method of pouring it until he arrived at the correct formula. In 1929, he opened an independent office in Haifa. He designed residential houses and other buildings, either alone or in partnership with other architects, such as A. Berwald, Eliezer Donath (architect and painter, born in Hungary, 1902-1969) and Benjamin Ural ("the architect without a diploma", 1889-1968). 

Among the buildings he designed in Haifa (or was involved in their design) are: an immigrant residence in Bat Galim, a residential and commercial building at 15 Herzl Street, and of course The new commercial center building In Hadar. His works, especially the later ones, are in keeping with the spirit of the International Style (Bauhaus) that was prevalent in Israel in the 30s and 40s. The style is characterized by clean lines, horizontal stripes of windows, rounded balconies, and the use of smooth plaster. We thank in advance readers who can add information regarding additional buildings designed by L. and Amos in Haifa.

Epilogue

a building The new shopping center, is an iconic International Style building planted at a central intersection on Herzl Street. The project, initiated by Hadar Carmel Committee In 1932, it was intended to economically strengthen the neighborhood after the events of XNUMX. Today, various shops still operate on the ground floor, including the mythical pharmacy. "Mironi", which serves as an anchor and reminder of the past. However, the upper floors are only partially inhabited, and the type of activity there remains unclear. The internal market, once the beating heart of the complex, is long gone, and the neglect is unfortunately evident in every corner of the inner courtyard.

Dear readers

The articles in this section are based on open information published in sources such as Wikipedia and other websites and may include various historical inaccuracies arising from the aforementioned sources.

We invite our readers to suggest buildings as subjects for articles and if interesting stories are found behind them we will be happy to review them in this section.