History
Binyenei Ha'Uma was first envisioned by Alexander Ezer (who later became its managing director) and planned by architect Ze'ev Rechter who won the design competition in 1949. The complex was under construction from 1950 to 1963, though it began operations in 1956 with a meeting of the World Zionist Organization. The period of economic difficulty and austerity in the first decade of Israeli independence meant frequent disruption in construction due to lack of funds, and the project was sometimes disparagingly known as Chirbet HaUma, the National Ruin. Rechter's design was a solid structure faced in Jerusalem stone. Instead of a monumental relief by artists Joseph Zaritsky and Yitzhak Danziger as originally planned, the facade was covered with azure-coloured glass panels.
Read more about this topic: International Convention Center (Jerusalem)
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