THE ARCHITECTS SHAPING ISRAEL'S NEW SPATIAL NARRATIVE

A Country Reimagined
Israel's population is expected to nearly double itself by 2050, reaching nearly 18 million residents, according to the country's Central Bureau of Statistics. The implications are far - reaching: housing, employment, infrastructure, transportation and green space will all need fundamental restructuring.

"In effect, the country must be built anew," says Yehoshua Gutman, a partner at Gutman Assif Architects. "This is the mission of our generation of architects: to rebuild our nation and determine what it will look like. Will we become Hong Kong, New York or something else entirely? We have no extra land and nowhere else to go."
The answer to what Israel will look like in the future is being written today in the offices of major planning firms, where architects navigate the tension between increased density and preserving the urban fabric. For Gutman and his team, this challenge is at the heart of their work. The firm has already designed tens of thousands of residential units reflecting this delicate balance.

Precision Planning for People and Place
Founded 15 years ago in Tel Aviv, Gutman Assif Architects is home to a multidisciplinary team of some 40 professionals, most of them architects, and engineers and planners. Its leadership trio brings deep, varied expertise and includes:Yehoshua Gutman, a graduate of the Pratt Institute and Columbia University, and a lecturer at the Technion Institute of Technology.

Adi Assif, a Bezalel Academy and Harvard Graduate School alumna.
Shamay Assif, a Technion and Harvard graduate, a former Chief Planner of Israel and City Engineer of Tel Aviv.
Their diverse backgrounds enable them to work seamlessly across scales from neighborhood revitalization to national planning policy. The firm competes in local and international architectural competitions and has received numerous awards. But what truly sets them apart is their integrated planning model, which combines statutory planning and architectural design under a single roof."We provide full-spectrum services from master planning (TABA) to design and execution," says Gutman. "When a developer or public agency reaches out to us, we consider how the building will actually be constructed as early as the master planning stage. This approach enables early andaccurate coordination of systems, cores and infrastructure, minimizing costly compromises during execution and improving overall quality. The result is more efficient, coherent projects that better meet the needs of users and the broader public."

Innovation Meets Heritage
This integrated method is evident in the firm's standout projects. One is a new Jerusalem hotel, developed by Rami Levy Real Estate, a six-story structure perched on the Armon Hanatziv ridge, with panoramic views of the Old City and the desert beyond.
Reconciling modern architecture with Jerusalem's strict building codes is not easy, says Gutman. "The hotel façade is made up of 3D precast concrete panels, each three meters high. Thanks to new technology, they're just two centimeters thick, evoking traditional Jerusalem stone while remaining thoroughly modern. The City, from the municipality to the city engineer, approved it because it feels authentically local."

Another landmark project is a mixed-use tower in Bat Yam, which combines residential, commercial, hospitality, offices and public space. "This is New Urbanismat its finest— a single vertical structure which integrates multiple layers of urban life," says Gutman. "But this kind of mixed-use design presents unique challenges. It's not like designing a residential building.Hotels and offices can't share the same infrastructure. They need separate systems, multiple cores, and more elevators, so the number of systems in this building (elevators, vertical shafts, infrastructure) is very high. The exterior reveals this complexity, with the distinct zones for retail, hospitality and residential are all plainly visible. The challenge is to integrate all this without compromising elegance or function."

Teams Built for Complexity
Another important Gutman Assif project is redevelopment of Kremenetski Street for the Tel Aviv Municipality. The site features preservation-worthy office buildings and a massive hangar that was once a workshop for electrical components. "The historic hangar is a rare find in an urban setting," says Assif. "Preserving it added complexity but also opportunity. It has been revived as the venue for the Fresh Paint art fair, helping to reinvigorate the neighborhood. We created a win-win: the city gained a larger public space, and the entire area was upgraded."

Assif acknowledges that the firm is drawn to complexity. "We specialize in high-stakes projects with statutory, ownership or engineering challenges," she says. "That's where our teams shine."
A clear example is Holon's Dov Hoz compound, a massive urban renewal site centered around a future metro station. It comprises housing, commercial and public space, with metro planning adding unique challenges. "With the metro system still in its planning stages, there's a lot of uncertainty," explains Assif. "The tunnels will dictate depth limits. There are engineering and ownership constraints. And in dense urban fabrics, you can't only replace buildings. You have to create quality public spaces where none exist today."

Public space is especially critical in the center of Israel. In prioritizing open space, Gutman Assif begins with the public realm. "We first assign space and then solve densification," she says. "Otherwise, urban life becomes impossible. The key isn't building taller, it's what you do on the ground. By reorganizing space, you make room for both density and livability. Replacing ten low-rise buildings with six taller ones may free up land for a school or park."

Tel Aviv's New Central Bus Station: Israel's Toughest Planning Puzzle
Perhaps the firm's most complex challenge is the redevelopment of Tel Aviv's new central bus station, widely considered one of the country's most problematic buildings.
"It's among the most criticized structures in Israel," says Gutman. "A 250,000-square-meter structure with six floors, countless entrances and a bus terminal spread over three levels. It's a city within a city — chaotic, inaccessible and deeply dysfunctional."

Gutman Assif has been developing a comprehensive policy and design vision for the site for several years. "It took us 18 months just to model it in Revit," says Assif, referencing the advanced 3D BIM software that holds all architectural, structural and systems data. "We now have the first full Revit model of it, which tells us what's happening in every corner, even in currently inaccessible areas."

This level of detail is possible because of multidisciplinary in-house teams, some focusing on urban planning, others on buildings construction, some combining the two. "Knowledge is shared across teams," explains Gutman. "A master planner can consult with a construction team on parking or emergency shelters from the outset. This synergy leads to highest-quality outcomes. Innovation is central to our ethos. We aim to be at the forefront of technology. We were early to adopt BIM, and we're now integrating AI into our daily workflows."

Urban Renewal That Respects Identity
The company addresses Israel's diverse urban identities, from Tel Aviv to Beit She'an, by working closely with local planning teams. "They have a finger on the local pulse, understand how the city functions, and are familiar with its aspirations, dynamics and constraints," says Assif. "Without them, planning becomes disconnected."

Recent examples of renewal that preserves local identity include Weizmann Street in Kfar Saba, a lively commercial avenue with a distinctive architectural heritage, and a project in central Givatayim, surrounding a rare ecological gem — a hidden seasonal stream. "In each of these, we enhanced urban renewal rather than erased local identity," says Gutman.

Looking Ahead
What comes next as Israel races toward a doubled population? "There's a great deal of planning across Israel," says Assif, "but we have no interest in simply adding another layer. Our focus is on areas where we can drive meaningful, impactful change. That's why we're active not only in all the major cities, but also in places like Beit She'an, Hazor HaGlilit, Netivot and Beersheba."
"We want to keep growing in order to be at the key decision-making crossroads that shape how our country looks over the next 35 years," says Gutman.

In collaboration with Gutman Assif Architects