The Need

With the growth and expansion of the museum there was a need for rebuilding a modern complex that would properly represent the legacy of the Israeli Air Force.

The Vision

The IAF Museum is a unique synthesis between history, heritage, science and technology. It contains historical exhibits as well as modern multimedia experiences; it combines old and new, interior and exterior. The proposed plan interweaves a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces and routes that can cater to the heterogeneous crowd of the Museum.

The Design

The three-dimensional movement alternates between horizontal and vertical viewpoints throughout the entire complex, and in the exhibition halls in particular. Inspired by folded paper planes, the geometry of the main building simulates the motion of soaring off the ground.

The exhibition spaces are built with materials used in the construction of airport hangars and throughout different periods in the history of aviation. The structure’s different levels offer dynamic and changing viewpoints of the exhibits and align with the horizontal desert landscape.

The vertical element in the center of the complex accentuates the horizontal lines and can be identified upon arrival to the parking area. Walking down the entry pathway to the museum gradually exposes the unique shape and formation of the different buildings in the complex.