Archetype: The Architecture of Ram Karmi
The exhibition is composed of six chapters featuring the work of Ram Karmi, Israel Prize Laureate for Architecture, from the 1950s to his death in 2013. Karmi is one of the most prominent members of the first generation of architects working after the establishment of the State, planning it and building its institutions. His influence is particularly noticeable among those who sought to establish a new language for Israeli architecture, one predicated on local sensibilities while maintaining the tenets of white, universal modernist architecture.
Karmi became acquainted with the principles of Brutalist architecture while studying architecture at the prestigious Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, and was a leading force in formulating its Israeli version from the 1950s to the 1970s. Israeli Brutalism, as interpreted by Karmi, called for a combination of architectural truth, expressed through the exposure of the building’s construction and building materials (mainly concrete), and of the roughness associated with the native Israeli character. Quintessential expressions of this approach include the Amal Lady Davis Multidisciplinary High School in Tel Aviv, the student dormitories at Ben-Gurion University, and the “Negev Center” in Beersheba.
The 1980s marked a shift in the work of Karmi, who distilled the lyrical dimension of architecture in a series of projects. Karmi strove for a personal and emotional architecture, one that originated in intuition and was then interpreted intellectually to create a poetic space. Examples of this approach include the Supreme Court building, which he planned with his sister, architect Ada Karmi-Melamede; the Yad LaYeled Museum on Kibbutz Lohamei HaGetaot; and the Rosemary Court residences in Herzliya, Haifa and Tel Aviv. During this same period, Karmi refined an approach based on timeless architectural archetypes, giving it expression in a series of postmodern neoclassical projects. This approach is evident in (unrealized) proposals for planning the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning at the Technion, and the planning of the municipal complex in Ashkelon.
In the course of his career, Karmi planned more than 200 projects (not all which were realized). His projects were often criticized for exceeding human scale, for constituting labyrinths that disrupt spatial orientation, and for provoking a sense of alienation. Karmi, for his part, rejected these criticisms and insisted on the unique qualities of his work, arguing that it was not always understood.
In any case, Karmi’s contribution to Israeli architecture, as both an architect and an educator, is enormous. At a time when local architecture was being overtaken by corporate commercialism, Karmi presented a unique value system and sought a personal and local approach to architecture. He trained an impressive number of architects, remarkably sculpted buildings in concrete, and created complex poetic spaces. His vision and ambition sometimes preceded their time.
Installation view
Photo: Elad Sarig
The exhibition was generously supported by the Azrieli Foundation
