Innovative Construction Meets Historic Preservation

In the Etz Chayim complex adjoining Mahane Yehuda Market, two residential towers are under construction, each with 29 storeys rising to a height of about 120 m. and containing 308 dwelling units. Beneath the towers a 7-level underground car park containing 265 parking spaces is being excavated.  

The main challenge facing the project is the conservation works on two old buildings standing close to the towers - the Etz Chayim Yeshiva building and an old kindergarten. These two structures constituted the focus around which the excavation and construction operations were planned. The kindergarten structure was about 60 cm. lower than the Yeshiva structure level, so that the building was lifted bodily and the car park foundations excavated below it. The old kindergarten structure weighs about 3,000 tonnes and it is stabilised only by resting on weight bearing walls and arches. Lifting was achieved with the aid of a set of hydraulic pistons, followed by fixing the structure in place on steel supports. 

The entire process was monitored by a special system capable of real time transmission of an alarm should any of the parameters be exceeded. A structure raising project of this type has never been undertaken before in Israel. 

Building penetrating steel bonds were installed that were cast in advance below the existing walls and attached to the foundations. Following the successful lifting of the kindergarten building, the project excavation proceeded, reaching level -3, where it was joined to the building basement level. At this stage, upward construction of the towers started, concurrently with the parking levels excavation.