On the western edge of Tel Aviv University’s campus, a new structure is taking shape — not just architecturally, but conceptually. The Azrieli School of Architecture Building is unlike anything else on campus: not merely a place to learn, but a teaching tool in and of itself. It reflects a shift in architectural and educational thinking — a vision that blends sustainability, social responsibility, and design excellence.
The construction of the Azrieli School of Architecture Building is supported by the Azrieli Foundation, which has a long history of involvement with and support for Tel Aviv University (TAU). The 8,000 square-meter complex will be in a high-traffic, streetside location at the main entrance to the TAU campus. It will feature a broad range of facilities, such as a lobby and entrance plaza, library, archive, auditorium, digital research laboratory, and much more.
“The new building is groundbreaking,” says Dean of Arts at TAU, Prof. Eran Neuman. “It’s the first building on campus built as a ‘fence building’ — meaning, it replaces the campus fence, sits on the street, and is public-facing. It’s not closed in on itself. It creates the street — and that’s exactly what urban planning should do.”
The concept behind the structure is as much educational as it is architectural. For students, the building offers a real-world example of the principles they’re studying. “It’s not just a magnificent structure,” Prof. Neuman continues. “It allows us to teach students how to engage with the city. It prepares them for the real challenges they’ll face — spatial, social, and ecological. The building itself is a model, a living example of good urban planning.”
The architects behind the building — Lior Tsiono and Lior Vitakun — are themselves graduates of TAU’s Azrieli School of Architecture. They won a design competition for the project and bring with them decades of experience.
“It’s quite symbolic,” Prof. Neuman notes. “Former students returning to design the future of the next generation. It closes a kind of educational loop.”
What truly sets the new Azrieli building apart is its commitment to sustainability. Designed to meet the highest environmental standards — including a platinum-level ecological certification — the building is both beautiful and energy-efficient.
“That’s part of our educational mission, too — to teach students how to build in a way that’s responsible and forward-looking,” Prof. Neuman emphasizes. .
“We want students to understand they have a duty to the environment, but also to the community. Urban planning isn’t just about buildings. It’s about people.”
A Community Anchor
Part of what makes the building unique is that it aims to foster community.
“This is not an ivory tower,” says Prof. Neuman. “It’s a space that invites, that engages. That’s the kind of design we need more of in Israel — buildings that create community.”
This is particularly meaningful in a country like Israel, where urban planning has historically suffered from missteps, believes Prof. Neuman.
“Yes, there were mistakes in the past. There always are. But Israeli planning is also at a high level. What’s important is that we continue to learn, to improve, to integrate new technologies — and to teach better.”
“It’s also an international-grade building,” he adds. “We wanted something that could attract attention from abroad.”
Indeed, one of the ambitions behind the project is to make the school a global hub. The new building is meant to support international research, attract visiting scholars, and host global events.
“We already work with top institutions around the world — Harvard, MIT, and others. This building will help us deepen those connections.”
Honorary doctorate
The longtime support of the Azrieli Foundation is one of the reasons why the Senate of Tel Aviv University resolved to honor Danna Azrieli by conferring upon her a 2025 Honorary Doctorate. Ms. Azrieli is an Israeli businesswoman, real estate developer, and philanthropist. As Chair of the Azrieli Group, Israel’s largest publicly traded real estate company, she leads its strategic operations in Israel and abroad. Among the reasons noted by the TAU Senate for bestowing the honor, Ms. Azrieli was cited for “her visionary leadership as a successful businesswoman; her distinguished track record of philanthropic leadership, both individually and as a member of the Azrieli Foundation, in championing important causes including social cohesion, environmental protection, health care, and improved educational opportunity in Israel’s periphery; and her dedication to strengthening Israeli society and Jewish identity and to building bridges between Israel and Jewish communities around the world.”
Construction on the new building is progressing steadily. The project is expected to be completed in about two years and is already rising above the ground. When finished, it will be more than a building — it will be a message.
“We want this place to serve as a laboratory — a space where we not only study planning but live it,” says Prof. Neuman. “Where students see what it means to build well.”
This article was written in cooperation with Tel Aviv University.