Azrieli Group To Build Israel’s ‘Tallest Tower’ In Tel Aviv At Close To $700M Cost

The Azrieli Group, one of Israel’s most prominent developers, announced plans this week to build Israel’s tallest tower in Tel Aviv at a cost of close to $700 million.

The Spiral Tower will be part of the Azrieli Center Complex which includes the famous three towers (circle, square, and triangle) that have become part and parcel of the Tel Aviv skyline. The new tower, shaped like a spiral, will rise to a height of 350 meters spanning 91 stories, the Azrieli Group said in a press statement. It will be built where the Beit Yediot Ahronot stood for decades and will become “the tallest building in Israel.”

The Azrieli Group said deep foundation work has already begun and construction is expected to take approximately six to seven years. The estimated cost is NIS 2.5 billion ($670 million).

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The Spiral Tower symbolizes a new urbanism that includes a wide mix of purposes (mixed use) in a tower with around 150,000 square meters which will contain, among others, commercial space, along with offices, residences, and a hotel, the Azrieli Group said.

It will have six underground parking levels, covering an area of 45,000 square meters, and a commercial floor connected directly to the (future) light rail.

“The architecture of the Spiral Tower is a reflection of the boldness and creativity that embody the Azrieli Group, which redefines Tel Aviv’s skyline with each new project,” said Dana Azrieli, chairperson of Azrieli Group. “The exceptional financial investment in the project constitutes yet another testament to our great confidence in the Israeli economy and its growth, and a continuation of the strategy that has led us in building the country for over three decades,” she added.

Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Towers. Photo by xiquinhosilva via Flickr

The top floors of the tower will include spaces for conferences and meetings, recreational spaces, and a 360-degree view of Tel Aviv and the surrounding area, according to the statement.

The tower was designed by the international firm Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), which is behind five of the world’s ten tallest skyscrapers, including the 555-meter Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea, and the 435-meter One Vanderbilt tower under construction in Manhattan, New York. The firm worked in collaboration with Israel-based Moshe Tzur Architects.

The Spiral Tower’s planned shape is unique in Israel and will “capture[s] the eye and the imagination,” according to the Azrieli Group.

“The main challenge for the initiators and architects was to create harmony between the three iconic towers that form Azrieli Center and the new tower, an impressive, one-of-a-kind structure which stands on its own. The tower’s design takes inspiration from the twists of a snail’s shell, attempting to imitate their natural form. The design also draws inspiration from ancient biblical scrolls and the way they unfurl upwards,” the developers said.

“All these led to choosing the spiral shape as the central motif in the tower’s design, in a way that will resemble a scarf winding around the existing base and three towers, and continuing like a scroll ascending around the new tower,” they added.