Enfnts Terribles

Mivtachim Sanitarium

In the late sixties Jacob Rechter became the designated architect to provide Mount Carmel in Zichron Ya’akov with one of the most beautiful buildings in Israel. He designed a serpentine shaped modular structure that appears to be squirming around the hills. The building earned Rechter the prestigious Israel Award for architecture in 1973. In the rest of the world his masterpiece didn’t go unnoticed, the sanitarium appeared in plenty of international magazines and books.

The front of the sanitarium consisted of guest rooms, all with individual balconies overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. At the back of the building were the entrance hall and reception with access to the town of Zichron Ya’akov.

Arts Complex

The Elma isn’t just the next best exhibition space. Apart from every corner of the building being dedicated to art, there’s also the Elma Hall, the Cube and the Elstein Galleries.

The Elma Hall is a high-tech concert hall with a classic vibe. Israel’s most renowned artists and musicians performed here. It was designed by New-York based Arup/Artec Consultants, an acoustics design and theater planning firm that’s one of the best in the world. More intimate performances are held at the Cube, a venue that has more the look and feel of a bar than a concert hall. There unfortunately wasn’t a performance planned during our stay but we’d be happy to go back to experience it.

In the Elstein Galleries, which are three spaces specifically dedicated to art exhibitions, artists from Israel and all over the world get the chance to show their work to the public. But as we already said, you’ll find paintings and sculptures in every corner of the building. We were especially intrigued by the massive sculpture from Sigalit Landau located in the courtyard, right when you enter the complex. Made from Carrara marble, it made us think of Italian masters such as Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Michelangelo.

It was a blessing that Lily Elstein stumbled upon the sanitarium, all the way back in 2005. This magnificent building couldn’t have had a better purpose than the one it has right now.