Background:
The cornerstone of the Weiss House was laid in the summer of 1909, marking one of the first buildings in Ahuzat Bayit. The building was planned and erected by Akiva Arieh Weiss himself, one of the founders of Tel Aviv, and was built solely by Hebrew labor, with exposed gravel bricks.
Originally, this structure had only one single floor, which was the Weiss family residence. In the 1920s, the whole ground floor was vacated to accommodate Weiss’ commercial business and another floor, with residential apartments for the family, was built above it.
Over the years, the building underwent many changes, making the identification of the original building almost impossible.

Project Description:
Extensive research was done, after which the structure was restored and converted into a restaurant and offices. The preservation of the historic structure was part of an Africa-Israel Company Project, which included: the preservation of three buildings along Herzl Street; the construction of an office tower; the excavation and building of a large underground parking garage; and the positioning of an urban square above it.
This planning was preceded by meticulous historical and architectural documentation, serving as the basis for the complex plan for the structure’s restoration, in general, and the sea sand and shell bricks façades at the ground level, in particular. Remnants of the original façades were discovered only after the dismantling of the later additions and they were integrated into the restored façade.

Project initiation: 1996
Project completion: 2001
Project Initiator: Africa-Israel Investments Ltd.
Tower architects: Yaski-Sivan Architects
Development Architect: Architect Uri Miller – Landscape Planning
Interior planning: in partnership with Turel & Cohen Architecture