The Federal Building Ministry is providing 2.5 million euros in funds for the listed White City ensemble in Tel Aviv. An agreement to this end was signed yesterday by State Secretary at the Building Ministry Gunther Adler and Mayor of Tel Aviv Ron Huldai.
The White City in Tel Aviv, built in the 1930s with the help of architects who emigrated from Germany, is the largest ensemble of classic modern architecture in the world and an important part of the joint German-Israeli history.
State Secretary Adler noted: "I am pleased that we are able to support the city of Tel Aviv in preserving this element of our joint cultural heritage. The letter of intent we signed provides a sound basis for successful cooperation."
The funds from the Federal Building Ministry will be used to support the establishment of a centre for construction for the White City based on the principles of heritage conservation. The White City was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. A total of 2.5 million euros has been earmarked over the next 10 years to support programmes and project work. With the Max Liebig house located at the centre of the White City, the city of Tel Aviv is making an important historical monument available to accommodate the new centre.
Mayor Ron Huldai of Tel Aviv welcomes the increasingly intensive cooperation between Israel and Germany and looks to the future with confidence due to the joint measures and the interests and creativity shared by the two countries: "The city views this project as a major milestone to raise awareness of the importance of studying the city's architecture and preserving the character of the White City for future generations."
Initial work for setting up the centre is already planned to take place in 2015, the year of the 50th anniversary of German-Israeli relations. The German-Israeli cooperation and skills network "White City Tel Aviv" unites stakeholders from all sectors of the building industry.