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White City, Black City: Architecture and War in Tel Aviv and Jaffa
The history of Tel Aviv, presented for a moment as an architectural history, can be seen as a part of a wider process in which the physical shaping of Tel Aviv and its political and cultural construction are intertwined, and plays a decisive role in the construction of the case, the alibi, and the apologetics of the Jewish settlement across the country. -- "White City, Black City
"In 2004, the city of Tel Aviv was declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site, an exemplar of modernism in architecture and town planning. Today, the Hebrew city of Tel Aviv gleams white against the desert sky, its Bauhaus-inspired architecture betraying few traces of what came before it: the Arab city of Jaffa. In "White City, Black City," the Israeli architect and author Sharon Rotbard offers two intertwining narratives, that of colonized and colonizer. It is also a story of a decades-long campaign of architectural and cultural historical revision that cast Tel Aviv as a modernist "white city" emerging fully formed from the dunes while ignoring its real foundation -- the obliteration of Jaffa. Rotbard shows that Tel Aviv was not, as a famous poem has it, built "from sea foam and clouds" but born in Jaffa and shaped according to its relation to Jaffa. His account is not only about architecture but also about war, destruction, Zionist agendas, erasure, and the erasure of the erasure.
Rotbard tells how Tel Aviv has seen Jaffa as an inverted reflection of itself -- not shining and white but nocturnal, criminal, dirty: a "black city." Jaffa lost its language, its history, and its architecture; Tel Aviv constructed its creation myth. "White City, Black City" -- hailed upon its publication in Israel as "path-breaking," "brilliant," and "a masterpiece" -- promises to become the central text on Tel Aviv.
Praise for the Israeli edition of White City, Black City
"A path-breaking and brilliant analysis." -- Eyal Weizman, author of "Hollow Land
""A challenging book that deserves to be read and argued." -- Tom Segev, "Haaretz"
"In 2004, the city of Tel Aviv was declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site, an exemplar of modernism in architecture and town planning. Today, the Hebrew city of Tel Aviv gleams white against the desert sky, its Bauhaus-inspired architecture betraying few traces of what came before it: the Arab city of Jaffa. In "White City, Black City," the Israeli architect and author Sharon Rotbard offers two intertwining narratives, that of colonized and colonizer. It is also a story of a decades-long campaign of architectural and cultural historical revision that cast Tel Aviv as a modernist "white city" emerging fully formed from the dunes while ignoring its real foundation -- the obliteration of Jaffa. Rotbard shows that Tel Aviv was not, as a famous poem has it, built "from sea foam and clouds" but born in Jaffa and shaped according to its relation to Jaffa. His account is not only about architecture but also about war, destruction, Zionist agendas, erasure, and the erasure of the erasure.
Rotbard tells how Tel Aviv has seen Jaffa as an inverted reflection of itself -- not shining and white but nocturnal, criminal, dirty: a "black city." Jaffa lost its language, its history, and its architecture; Tel Aviv constructed its creation myth. "White City, Black City" -- hailed upon its publication in Israel as "path-breaking," "brilliant," and "a masterpiece" -- promises to become the central text on Tel Aviv.
Praise for the Israeli edition of White City, Black City
"A path-breaking and brilliant analysis." -- Eyal Weizman, author of "Hollow Land
""A challenging book that deserves to be read and argued." -- Tom Segev, "Haaretz"
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
31 people are currently reading
826 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Rotbard
7 books22 followersSharon Rotbard is an architect, writer, publisher and teacher based in South Tel Aviv.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 17, 2023
Znakomita praca reporterska, ale książka pisana pod tezę, bardzo nierówna, momentami zbyt szczegółowa, by po dwóch stronach nagle uderzyć zupełnie ogólnymi faktami. Nie wiem do końca dla kogo była pisana, mimo że autor podejmuje ten wątek w posłowiu. Plus za gigantyczny materiał źródłowy - polecam bibliografię.
March 13, 2015
As if the Palestinian people haven't suffered enough throughout most of the 20th and, so far, all of the 21st century this book reminds us that when your country has been invaded and occupied the aggressor will use everything in its arsenal to obliterate any resistance and opposition. This book looks at how the seemingly innocuous area of architecture has been used to this effect in the ancient city of Jaffa (and it's illegitimate offspring, Tel Aviv).
I say 'innocuous' aspect of architecture but anyone who has followed social rebellion of the last couple of hundred years will be familiar with the reasons for the remodelling of the centre of Paris following the Paris Commune of 1871.
But the State of Israel has gone even further than Haussmann in its efforts to expel Palestinian people, mould towns and cities to its aggressor agenda and suppress any indigenous culture.
Most people will be aware of the so-called 'Separation Wall' running the length of Palestine but few (myself included) will be aware that this policy was introduced (with the connivance and assistance of the British) during the period of the 'Mandate' – British sovereignty over Palestine from 1918 to 1948. Perhaps not with an actual wall but the design of the growing city (still then known as Jaffa) meant the same thing – keeping the Palestinians where the Jewish settlers wanted them and generally making life difficult for ordinary Palestinian people.
To my shame I have to admit that I was aware of the massacre of the village of Deir Yassin on 9th April 1948 but not of a similar (but much more extensive) event that took place in Jaffa in the weeks preceding the declaration of the State of Israel on 15th May 1948. The attack by one of the Jewish terrorist organisations, Haganah, started on 25th April and the city surrendered on 13th May. By that time much of the old city – which went back more than 4,000 years – was destroyed. Those Palestinians not killed in this terrorist attack fled the city, even risking their lives by crowding the old port in efforts to escape from their homeland. By the time of the declaration of the Jewish State the city of Jaffa was a virtual ghost town and the Palestinians never returned in any significant number.
From that time on Jaffa and Tel Aviv became two distinct cities.
In time Tel Aviv reinvented itself, or more correctly created itself, as a city meriting UNESCO World Heritage status, which it was awarded in 2003. This accolade, normally awarded to locations that are exceptional in some way, was given to Tel Aviv for its connection to the Bauhaus school of architecture. Rotbard considers the awarding of this status to be spurious. As far as he is concerned the connection with Bauhaus was slight and tangential, involved architects that didn't even study in Germany and, anyway, there was more of such architecture in Jaffa Old Town than the New, and the city distorted the basic philosophy of Bauhaus (which was socialist) by its selective preservation of buildings.
Whilst New Jaffa has been growing in international repute Old Jaffa has changed beyond all recognition. The streets that remained after the war of 1948 have been torn down, the new buildings were only to be for 'artists' (in an effort to develop some sort of 'cultural' space) and now it's becoming more like a theme park for the tourists of the beaches of Tel Aviv to be able to enjoy a feel of the past. Everything, as long as there''s no reference to its Palestinian past, including the naming of the streets.
For a relatively short book there's a huge amount of information and an interesting development of the idea of architecture in situations of conflict (drawing parallels with Albert Speer's ideas, unrealised, of Germany following a Nazi victory in WWII). Although it obviously concentrates on Jaffa (with references to other parts of Israel) once having read this book you will look at other conflicts in a different way.
A Goodreads First Reads winner.
I say 'innocuous' aspect of architecture but anyone who has followed social rebellion of the last couple of hundred years will be familiar with the reasons for the remodelling of the centre of Paris following the Paris Commune of 1871.
But the State of Israel has gone even further than Haussmann in its efforts to expel Palestinian people, mould towns and cities to its aggressor agenda and suppress any indigenous culture.
Most people will be aware of the so-called 'Separation Wall' running the length of Palestine but few (myself included) will be aware that this policy was introduced (with the connivance and assistance of the British) during the period of the 'Mandate' – British sovereignty over Palestine from 1918 to 1948. Perhaps not with an actual wall but the design of the growing city (still then known as Jaffa) meant the same thing – keeping the Palestinians where the Jewish settlers wanted them and generally making life difficult for ordinary Palestinian people.
To my shame I have to admit that I was aware of the massacre of the village of Deir Yassin on 9th April 1948 but not of a similar (but much more extensive) event that took place in Jaffa in the weeks preceding the declaration of the State of Israel on 15th May 1948. The attack by one of the Jewish terrorist organisations, Haganah, started on 25th April and the city surrendered on 13th May. By that time much of the old city – which went back more than 4,000 years – was destroyed. Those Palestinians not killed in this terrorist attack fled the city, even risking their lives by crowding the old port in efforts to escape from their homeland. By the time of the declaration of the Jewish State the city of Jaffa was a virtual ghost town and the Palestinians never returned in any significant number.
From that time on Jaffa and Tel Aviv became two distinct cities.
In time Tel Aviv reinvented itself, or more correctly created itself, as a city meriting UNESCO World Heritage status, which it was awarded in 2003. This accolade, normally awarded to locations that are exceptional in some way, was given to Tel Aviv for its connection to the Bauhaus school of architecture. Rotbard considers the awarding of this status to be spurious. As far as he is concerned the connection with Bauhaus was slight and tangential, involved architects that didn't even study in Germany and, anyway, there was more of such architecture in Jaffa Old Town than the New, and the city distorted the basic philosophy of Bauhaus (which was socialist) by its selective preservation of buildings.
Whilst New Jaffa has been growing in international repute Old Jaffa has changed beyond all recognition. The streets that remained after the war of 1948 have been torn down, the new buildings were only to be for 'artists' (in an effort to develop some sort of 'cultural' space) and now it's becoming more like a theme park for the tourists of the beaches of Tel Aviv to be able to enjoy a feel of the past. Everything, as long as there''s no reference to its Palestinian past, including the naming of the streets.
For a relatively short book there's a huge amount of information and an interesting development of the idea of architecture in situations of conflict (drawing parallels with Albert Speer's ideas, unrealised, of Germany following a Nazi victory in WWII). Although it obviously concentrates on Jaffa (with references to other parts of Israel) once having read this book you will look at other conflicts in a different way.
A Goodreads First Reads winner.
October 5, 2023
1.5/5
Bardzo długo zastanawiałam się nad oceną dla tej książki, przede wszystkim bardzo żałuję kupienia jej po zakochaniu się w okładce. Polskie wydanie ma przepiękną szatę graficzną, od okładki aż po czcionkę, ale na tym pozytywy się kończą.
Tłumaczenie jest tragiczne, zdania brzmią nienaturalnie, czytanie ich jest męczące. Trudno jest mi ocenić samą treść, bo może przy lepszym tłumaczeniu odebrałabym całą książkę inaczej (bardziej pozytywnie?).
„Dziś miasto jest nieme, głuche i cierpi na amnezję, nikt jednak tego nie dostrzega, a już zwłaszcza ludzie, którzy tam mieszkaja.
Jafa to miasto nieistniejące, miasto wymyślone, miasto, którego przeszłość, teraźniejszość i przyszłość raz za razem formują się na nowo, raz za razem podlegają manipulacji. Aż w końcu nikt faktycznie nie wie, gdzie zaczyna się Jafa prawdziwa, a kończy wyimaginowana.”
Bardzo długo zastanawiałam się nad oceną dla tej książki, przede wszystkim bardzo żałuję kupienia jej po zakochaniu się w okładce. Polskie wydanie ma przepiękną szatę graficzną, od okładki aż po czcionkę, ale na tym pozytywy się kończą.
Tłumaczenie jest tragiczne, zdania brzmią nienaturalnie, czytanie ich jest męczące. Trudno jest mi ocenić samą treść, bo może przy lepszym tłumaczeniu odebrałabym całą książkę inaczej (bardziej pozytywnie?).
„Dziś miasto jest nieme, głuche i cierpi na amnezję, nikt jednak tego nie dostrzega, a już zwłaszcza ludzie, którzy tam mieszkaja.
Jafa to miasto nieistniejące, miasto wymyślone, miasto, którego przeszłość, teraźniejszość i przyszłość raz za razem formują się na nowo, raz za razem podlegają manipulacji. Aż w końcu nikt faktycznie nie wie, gdzie zaczyna się Jafa prawdziwa, a kończy wyimaginowana.”
January 27, 2025
decently dense but well worth it. have a nice to-read list of fanon, said, lefebvre, venturi/scott brown/izenour, and baudrillard after this. deeply interested in the author's work since the english publication of the book in 2015, with the events of the last 10 (and especially last 2ish) years and the assertion of "war [as] the continuation of architecture by other means."
September 29, 2015
I received this book for free via Goodreads First Reads.
It is a book that has been on my 'to read' pile for a while. I was not sure what to expect. What I read deserves 5 stars.
I understand that the book might be biased. I understand that I know nothing of the subject but I can also link certain parts to things I have said in the past.
Therefore I am biased too.
The fact is that history and architecture are linked. The demolition of buildings and the denial of history can be linked in a lot of ways. The city of Jaffa might only bring oranges to mind in a lot of people. The fact that no oranges are grown there and the city no longer exists are things that people should take notice of.
I am writing this from a neutral country (the UK) and I would never get involved in the politics of the region (I tried that once on Facebook).
History should never be buried. This book gives a history that has been denied, erased and rewritten. It might not all be true but it also gives more truths than someone who listens to the official story would know. There should be more books like this.
History should be seen from all sides.
It is a book that has been on my 'to read' pile for a while. I was not sure what to expect. What I read deserves 5 stars.
I understand that the book might be biased. I understand that I know nothing of the subject but I can also link certain parts to things I have said in the past.
Therefore I am biased too.
The fact is that history and architecture are linked. The demolition of buildings and the denial of history can be linked in a lot of ways. The city of Jaffa might only bring oranges to mind in a lot of people. The fact that no oranges are grown there and the city no longer exists are things that people should take notice of.
I am writing this from a neutral country (the UK) and I would never get involved in the politics of the region (I tried that once on Facebook).
History should never be buried. This book gives a history that has been denied, erased and rewritten. It might not all be true but it also gives more truths than someone who listens to the official story would know. There should be more books like this.
History should be seen from all sides.
June 14, 2025
“the israeli architects who plan and build in jaffa cannot ignore the looting of arab property, as by virtue of their work they are forced to hold evidences of this in their hands. architects, in their actions and their works, are the ones who finalize the occupation, making it irreversible. no israeli architect has been unscathed by this.” (Rotbard, 175)
in-depth overview of the intersection between architecture and apartheid in jaffa/“tel aviv.” docked a star only because a lot of this book went over my head as someone who does not have in-depth experience with architecture. i wish more pages were dedicated to the social impacts of the illegal settlements rather than the specific impact of ‘bauhaus’ teachings on israeli architecture. bauhous being an intensely european, faculty-renowned (rather than student, as are all celebrated israeli bauhaus associates) school. while Rotbard focused on architects, WCBC has led me to further question the role that other widely accepted as mundane (no offense to architects) professions have in perpetuating genocide. i appreciate rotbard’s update post october 7th, as it gives me hope that there may be some semblance of resistance to occupation within israeli society itself: “Perhaps disengagement and eternal division are not the only ways to put an end to the occupation; maybe it would be enough to simply stop being occupiers?” (Rotbard, 180).
finally, a quote concerning the eretz israel museum, an institution commemorating the over century-long incremental genocide haganah (a brutal terrorist group during the british mandate), etzel (a group even more brutal after diagnosing haganah as not brutal enough), and now the iof have perpetrated against innocent palestinian civilians:
“Strangely, the building uses the ruin and the aesthetics of the ruin in order to cover and conceal the full extent of the destruction done. the building tells the truth about the rape and murder of the city of jaffa, but it lies at the same time by cloaking this bloody drama in ‘architecture’ and ‘environmental art’” (Rotbard, 134)
in-depth overview of the intersection between architecture and apartheid in jaffa/“tel aviv.” docked a star only because a lot of this book went over my head as someone who does not have in-depth experience with architecture. i wish more pages were dedicated to the social impacts of the illegal settlements rather than the specific impact of ‘bauhaus’ teachings on israeli architecture. bauhous being an intensely european, faculty-renowned (rather than student, as are all celebrated israeli bauhaus associates) school. while Rotbard focused on architects, WCBC has led me to further question the role that other widely accepted as mundane (no offense to architects) professions have in perpetuating genocide. i appreciate rotbard’s update post october 7th, as it gives me hope that there may be some semblance of resistance to occupation within israeli society itself: “Perhaps disengagement and eternal division are not the only ways to put an end to the occupation; maybe it would be enough to simply stop being occupiers?” (Rotbard, 180).
finally, a quote concerning the eretz israel museum, an institution commemorating the over century-long incremental genocide haganah (a brutal terrorist group during the british mandate), etzel (a group even more brutal after diagnosing haganah as not brutal enough), and now the iof have perpetrated against innocent palestinian civilians:
“Strangely, the building uses the ruin and the aesthetics of the ruin in order to cover and conceal the full extent of the destruction done. the building tells the truth about the rape and murder of the city of jaffa, but it lies at the same time by cloaking this bloody drama in ‘architecture’ and ‘environmental art’” (Rotbard, 134)
March 21, 2016
Truth bombs everywhere. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Required reading for: political geographers, anyone interested in cities, Palestine solidarity activists, confused and questioning liberal Zionists, anyone who needs to know the truth of things. Well written and engaging even when the content gets dense. I'm not an architect but I still learned so much (including thinking about literal and metaphorical whitewash)!!
February 25, 2019
I strongly recommend this book to anyone, who travels to Tel Aviv. It gives insights, necessary to understand the city's complicated past and present.
January 17, 2023
Wszystko świetnie, zupełnie nowe spojrzenie na architekturę Tel Awiwu. Ale końcówka rozczarowująca i pełna niepotrzebnych (w mojej ocenie) nadinterpretacji.
December 17, 2022
3.5
For somebody with just some rudimentary knowledge about Israeli-Palestinian history/conflict/coexistence/war, this book is definitely an eye-opener. Starting with granting Tel Aviv’s White City world heritage status by UNESCO, the author depicts how its much older neighbor, the ancient city of Jaffa, was consumed and irrevocably transformed by state policy. Rotbard gives us a sweeping account of historical and architectural account of both places dispelling foundation myths and making us reflect on how architecture might play a part in writing the victor’s version of history. Still, I found it tedious to read and ploughed through many parts of it.
For somebody with just some rudimentary knowledge about Israeli-Palestinian history/conflict/coexistence/war, this book is definitely an eye-opener. Starting with granting Tel Aviv’s White City world heritage status by UNESCO, the author depicts how its much older neighbor, the ancient city of Jaffa, was consumed and irrevocably transformed by state policy. Rotbard gives us a sweeping account of historical and architectural account of both places dispelling foundation myths and making us reflect on how architecture might play a part in writing the victor’s version of history. Still, I found it tedious to read and ploughed through many parts of it.
August 6, 2019
Es un buen libro para entender el mito de fundación de Tel Aviv, y en lo que difiere la ciudad de su idea original. El tratamiento de la parte de Jaffa es también muy interesante. Sin embargo, el autor presenta ideas muy radicales que opacan los hechos históricos y hacen de unos capítulos tediosos.
April 15, 2017
The book about the white lies of Tel Aviv's White city and forgotten Jaffa's story. Terrific!
December 24, 2022
Historia kolonializmu widziana przez pryzmat architektury. Wiele razy w mediach czy na wystawach o bauhausie słyszałam mit tel awiwu, jako białego miasta, które w wręcz sielankowej wizji wybudowali własnymi rękami dzielni żydowscy studenci i filozofowie, biorąc z niczego, bo z wydm i piasków pustyni i ciężką pracą przekształcając je w bauhausowską utopię na skalę miasta pachnącą pomarańczami. w każdej takiej utopijnej sielankowej historii jest jakieś kłamstwo, ale w przypadku tej nie ma ani drobiny prawdy, wszystko jest pięknie napisanym chwytem marketingowym, który ma uzasadnić kolonializm, przemoc i ludobójstwo i jak najbardziej "wybielić" z win oprawcę.
October 2, 2015
A revealing look at how a city's narrative is created through annexation and (more dramatically) destruction. As Rotbard says in the afterword, he is not a historian per se, and this book relies more on architectural theory and analysis of city planning than on narratives of specific events. That said, his arguments are well supported with evidence and though I read it as someone who knew next to nothing about Tel Aviv, Rotbard makes the persuasive argument that the story of Tel Aviv-Jaffa is relevant to all unequal relationships existing in physical space (Israel-Palestine, First-Third Worlds, etc.).
This was also the first time I had heard of the theory of ruin value, which reminded me of an essay in The Life and Death of Images that begins from the premise that all art is created with the foreknowledge that the object will disintegrate or otherwise be destroyed and that its preservation is a conscious choice. A city choosing how to display or adapt its ruins is even more political for its impact on physical space. I'm definitely interested in reading more about the practical implications of urban theories of space.
This was also the first time I had heard of the theory of ruin value, which reminded me of an essay in The Life and Death of Images that begins from the premise that all art is created with the foreknowledge that the object will disintegrate or otherwise be destroyed and that its preservation is a conscious choice. A city choosing how to display or adapt its ruins is even more political for its impact on physical space. I'm definitely interested in reading more about the practical implications of urban theories of space.
September 28, 2019
История Тель-Авива и Яффо сквозь призму политических событий начала и середины прошлого века. Отчетливо просматривается и позиция автора с уклоном влево. Если отвлечься от политики, то архитектурная часть книги достойна похвалы. Обязательны к прочтению главы про "белизну" и историю колониальной архитектуры и интернационального стиля.
August 29, 2022
Одним з лейтмотивів цієї книжки є фраза, що місто є втіленням історій, які воно про себе розповідає. І ці історії завжди розповідають переможці.
Ідеєю автора є показати темні сторони історії, яку розповідає про себе Тель-Авів, а саме міфу про біле місто баухаусу, яке постало на дюнах. Баухаус є однією з візитних карток Тель-Авіву, який пов’язує нове сіоністське місто з європейським модернізмом, а біле місто з’являється у піснях і віршах. „Біле місто” дозволило легітимізувати Тель-Авів, про який раніше говорили що він є чимось середнім між Бердичевом і Багдадом. Що дивно, то це те, що ця легенда міста досить пізня - про баухаус почали говорити аж в кінці 1980-х.
Втім, за „білим містом” є чорне. Сама історія побудови білого міста далека від канонічної розповіді - воно не біле, а сіре, з оригінальним баухаусом зв’язок не аж такий міцниі і його будували не на дюнах, а на місці апельсинових садів, які належали до арабського Яффо. Яффо і арабську складову Тель-Авіва поступово стирали, зрештою замінивши реально існуюче арабське місто бутафорією для туристів. Сучасний Тель-Авів також виявляє расову сегрегованість, яку бачить кожен і кожна хто приїжджає і прогулюється від Автобусної станції до вулиці Бяліка.
Книжка критична і емоційна, можливо трохи занадто грається з аналогіями, порівнюючи Яффо до Хіросіми. Зрештою, у Східній Європі ми бачимо як історія кожного міста це історія насильства, реального і символічного, стирання попередніх розповідей на користь нових. Але такий критичний погляд необхідний, щоб бачити в чому проблема наших уявлень про наші міста і як вони поглиблюють існуючі нерівності. Зрештою, побачили ми цю книжку якраз в музеї Баухаусу.
Для мене це також дуже особиста книжка, бо я страшенно люблю Тель-Авів, в його білому і чорному варіантах, з його хмарочосами, облупленими будинками і кажанами, попри скажені ціни і спеку. А цей текст показав багато інших раніше непомічених контекстів.
***
„In opposition to ‘Golden Jerusalem’, the preordained capital of Begin’s new traditionalist and faith-driven Greater Israel, the White City became the elected headquarters of ‘Good Old Eretz Israel’ (Good Old Land of Israel). Among members of this latter collective, the stoic purity of the Bauhaus Style was seen as representative and an extension of the values of order and rationality they preached, and a rebuke to the amorphous black chaos inherent in the non-canonical baroque style of the Neighbourhood Rehabilitation and Build Your Own House projects, as promoted by Begin.”
***
„The Arab ruin became the natural state of Arab architecture, and came to be part of the Israeli Arcadia, along with the Eucalyptus groves, the Sabra cacti, or the scent of citrus orchards. The ruin had always been but a ruin – that way one could forget that it had actually been a house once inhabited.”
***
„This is precisely the violence that Fanon, Bhabha, and many other anti-colonial and post-colonial theoreticians refer to. The feigned innocence which weaves and frames the White City story does not solely derive from the white narrative that decomposes almost by itself, but from the eagerness to isolate the autonomous history of architecture from the ‘general’ history”
Ідеєю автора є показати темні сторони історії, яку розповідає про себе Тель-Авів, а саме міфу про біле місто баухаусу, яке постало на дюнах. Баухаус є однією з візитних карток Тель-Авіву, який пов’язує нове сіоністське місто з європейським модернізмом, а біле місто з’являється у піснях і віршах. „Біле місто” дозволило легітимізувати Тель-Авів, про який раніше говорили що він є чимось середнім між Бердичевом і Багдадом. Що дивно, то це те, що ця легенда міста досить пізня - про баухаус почали говорити аж в кінці 1980-х.
Втім, за „білим містом” є чорне. Сама історія побудови білого міста далека від канонічної розповіді - воно не біле, а сіре, з оригінальним баухаусом зв’язок не аж такий міцниі і його будували не на дюнах, а на місці апельсинових садів, які належали до арабського Яффо. Яффо і арабську складову Тель-Авіва поступово стирали, зрештою замінивши реально існуюче арабське місто бутафорією для туристів. Сучасний Тель-Авів також виявляє расову сегрегованість, яку бачить кожен і кожна хто приїжджає і прогулюється від Автобусної станції до вулиці Бяліка.
Книжка критична і емоційна, можливо трохи занадто грається з аналогіями, порівнюючи Яффо до Хіросіми. Зрештою, у Східній Європі ми бачимо як історія кожного міста це історія насильства, реального і символічного, стирання попередніх розповідей на користь нових. Але такий критичний погляд необхідний, щоб бачити в чому проблема наших уявлень про наші міста і як вони поглиблюють існуючі нерівності. Зрештою, побачили ми цю книжку якраз в музеї Баухаусу.
Для мене це також дуже особиста книжка, бо я страшенно люблю Тель-Авів, в його білому і чорному варіантах, з його хмарочосами, облупленими будинками і кажанами, попри скажені ціни і спеку. А цей текст показав багато інших раніше непомічених контекстів.
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„In opposition to ‘Golden Jerusalem’, the preordained capital of Begin’s new traditionalist and faith-driven Greater Israel, the White City became the elected headquarters of ‘Good Old Eretz Israel’ (Good Old Land of Israel). Among members of this latter collective, the stoic purity of the Bauhaus Style was seen as representative and an extension of the values of order and rationality they preached, and a rebuke to the amorphous black chaos inherent in the non-canonical baroque style of the Neighbourhood Rehabilitation and Build Your Own House projects, as promoted by Begin.”
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„The Arab ruin became the natural state of Arab architecture, and came to be part of the Israeli Arcadia, along with the Eucalyptus groves, the Sabra cacti, or the scent of citrus orchards. The ruin had always been but a ruin – that way one could forget that it had actually been a house once inhabited.”
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„This is precisely the violence that Fanon, Bhabha, and many other anti-colonial and post-colonial theoreticians refer to. The feigned innocence which weaves and frames the White City story does not solely derive from the white narrative that decomposes almost by itself, but from the eagerness to isolate the autonomous history of architecture from the ‘general’ history”
December 11, 2017
Great academic book exploring Tel Aviv's history, and how the idea of an art deco, Jewish/European white city (both ethnically white but also white as in clean and white art deco building) destroyed and replaced the existing dark city (dark arabs/dark and dirty muslim ancient city). Classic "liberal" reexamination of history. As it was an academic book it was a bit boring, so four stars.
Read date approximate.
Read date approximate.
September 21, 2025
Historia powstania i rozwoju Tel Awiwu. Taka dość przyziemna, bo chodzi dosłownie o miasto. O teren, na którym powstało, o to, co jego powstanie zniszczyło i zagrabiło, o historię, którą na swój temat stworzyło i co z tej historii wyrzuciło.
Jest to opowieść raczej bez głębokiej analizy politycznej, choć nie sposób zupełnie uniknąć tego tematu, rozmawiając o tej części świata. Ale ton autora jest wyważony, raczej bez emocji. Choć winą wprost obarcza władze Tel Awiwu.
Książka jest podzielona na 3 części. Ciężko było mi przebrnąć przez pierwszą z nich, bo dość szczegółowo omawiała zagadnienia związane z architekturą. Natomiast później było już lżej.
W środku sporo zdjęć i map. I bogata bibliografia.
Jest to opowieść raczej bez głębokiej analizy politycznej, choć nie sposób zupełnie uniknąć tego tematu, rozmawiając o tej części świata. Ale ton autora jest wyważony, raczej bez emocji. Choć winą wprost obarcza władze Tel Awiwu.
Książka jest podzielona na 3 części. Ciężko było mi przebrnąć przez pierwszą z nich, bo dość szczegółowo omawiała zagadnienia związane z architekturą. Natomiast później było już lżej.
W środku sporo zdjęć i map. I bogata bibliografia.
May 29, 2024
Kolonializm poprzez architekturę oraz wojna poprzez architekturę. Znakomita część obejmująca „Czarne miasto”.
October 29, 2024
Jakieś 3,5 / 5, bo daje do myślenia.
April 23, 2015
I won this book in the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.
I always like to try something different to what I usually read and this book sounded very interesting when I entered to win this book several months ago. I tried so hard to get into this book, but unfortunately found it to heavy going. I am now passing it onto my brother-in-law who I feel will enjoy this book more than I.
I always like to try something different to what I usually read and this book sounded very interesting when I entered to win this book several months ago. I tried so hard to get into this book, but unfortunately found it to heavy going. I am now passing it onto my brother-in-law who I feel will enjoy this book more than I.
December 30, 2017
интересные сведения о южной части Тель Авива в контексте истории и политических событий
April 27, 2017
Essential read
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