Start-Up Nation Central, an Israel-based NGO that acts as a gateway to Israel's exciting innovation ecosystem, has unveiled its new headquarters designed by Kimmel Eshkolot Architects, an award-winning Israeli architecture practice. A new hub in the heart of Tel Aviv's tech district, it breaks new ground in fusing design concept with organizational mission. The innovative project creates a modern and living building for the nonprofit organization's mission to support Israel as a thriving innovative nation, globally recognized as such. Kimmel Eshkolot Architects converted a freestanding six-story building to create working spaces, conference rooms, hosting floors and exhibition areas tailored to the meeting of Israeli startups and global entities seeking innovation. The design team of the Start-Up Nation Central Headquarters was led by Terry Kassel, one of the co-founders of SNC and chairman of its board. The building's internal spatial layout creates a living organism with each level dedicated to a different function of the organization's work. The building is designed in three parts, a lower level for the ecosystem and a top level for global delegations. A middle level, occupied by Start-Up Nation Central staff, serves as the connecting tissue between the lower and upper levels - between the ecosystem and the world. Beneath the entrance lobby, the basement floor is a hybrid hub made up of an event space that can hold up to 120 people, 3 nooks, and a large 12-seat conference room. These facilities can be used for meetups, conferences, lectures, and workshops. A ground floor restaurant accessed via a separate public entrance on Tel Aviv's storied Lilienblum Street, will feature rotations of promising young chefs in a pop-up restaurant concept. The first floor is another hybrid space, with 3 meeting rooms, several open-plan work desks, a small lounge space in the middle, and a large classroom, named after Marie Curie, where up to 25 people can sit in classroom chairs with retro-style folding notebook panels. Large glass windows encompass the entire space. Levels 2 and 3 provide a home for SNC's employees. On the upper floors of the building, levels four and five host SNC's international delegations and visitors. Kimmel Eshkolot Architects' design of the work spaces oscillates between a formal and laid-back environment with sleek transparent glass offices, wooden finishes and carefully aligned barriers providing a dual sense of open work flow and individual spatial privacy. The architectural configuration and internal design language speaks to the needs of the tech world - quiet productivity open to bursts of creative energy - and aspires for precision and practicality. The transparent glass exterior provides views of downtown Tel Aviv's skyscraper skyline and neighboring eclectic 20th Century buildings. Finally, there are green concepts incorporated throughout the building, including an agricultural garden and mini-urban farm on the roof.
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Completion Date: July 2018
Gross Floor Area: 2,900 m2
Architects: Kimmel Eshkolot Architects
Design Team: Etan Kimmel, Limor Amrani, More Gelfand, Yoav Ronat, Corvin Matei
Project Management: Yaron-Levy
Client: Start Up Nation Central
Main Contractor: A.Weiss
Consultants
Air Conditioning: S. Anavi
Electrical: Asaf Ben Asher
Plumbing: Igal Czerniak
Acoustics: Mem Gimel Acoustics
Safety: Efi Sher
IT and Audio-visual Equipment: Arrownet
Graphic Design: Reut Ashkenazy
Kitchen Design: DC Design Culinar
Lighting Design: Asaf Ben Asher, Orly Avron Alkabes
Suppliers
Furniture and Glass Partitions: HABITAT
Resin Floor and Parquet: PARQUETEAM
Wood Ceilings: ORANIT wood profiles industries
Baswa Ceiling: Judea International Export Import
Acoustic Cladding: CREDO
Gardening: Ganan al-gag
Lighting: Yair Doram
IT and Audio-visual Equipment: Bynat
Signage: OKD
Photography: Amit Geron