A workers house built in the early days of Eilat was a modernist wonder, until modern renovations did away with much of its charm.Rarely does a single building play such an important role in the life of a city. Philip Murray House, the Histadrut labor federation's local headquarters and the first public building in Eilat, is one such case.Since its

inauguration in 1957, when only a few thousand residents lived in the southern city, it has been and remains a focus of cultural and communal activity "A theater, movie house, dance classes, municipal library, matriculation exam study courses and night classes, the first photography club in Eilat, all the important things in the city happened here," attests Shmulik Tager, who managed the place for many years. "All of the country's leading artists appeared on stage here, Haparvarim, Hatarnegolim, Hava Alberstein; even the philharmonic did a concert here."Today the Philip Murray House continues to function at full capacity, but little remains of the original building on Hatemarim Boulevard designed by Abba Elhanani. Despite its outstanding architectural qualities, and even though the city has marked it for preservation, the building is undergoing dramatic changes. The interior spaces have been renovated with little care and haphazard extensions have been added to the facade.Philip Murray House was one of about 70 workers buildings constructed by the Histadrut around the country over a short period during the early days of the state. It is named after the Scottish-American labor union leader who headed the United Steelworkers of America. After his death in 1952, the organization donated a substantial sum to build the workers facility in the remote southern Israeli city.The American laborers believed that the facility would improve the welfare of Eilat laborers and help them form unions and protect themselves.the Histadrut officials also managed to solicit many donations from the counterparts abroad and among other things, to build the David Dubinsky Soccer Stadium in Haifa (1955 ), the Joseph Breslau Cultural Center in Nehora (1958 ), the Walter Reuter Youth Center in Holon (1962 ) and many other buildings.Drip thornYet Philip Murray House in Eilat stands out among this group and in general. Architecturally it expresses the great promise of the Modernist movement in Israel. Israeli Modernism, grave-faced and full of concrete, acquired a unique look in Eilat, light, airy and innovative. It is closely linked to the international Modernist discourse, but is also a product of its place.The harsh climate and the high temperatures forced Elhanani and his colleagues to be creative and search for unique building materials that would mesh with the surroundings.Elhanani divided the building into three parts. The northern wing houses the offices, meeting rooms and classrooms. The southern wing houses the auditorium and in the middle, he placed a broad foyer with open lattices.In order to overcome the absence of air conditioning, he surrounded the building with 95-centimeter thick walls and he designed a double northern facade. The exterior is built of a series of industrial, perforated concrete bricks and the interior, which faces the offices and classrooms, is made entirely of sliding windows.Between the concrete bricks they would place thorns collected in the vicinity and a drip system would make them slightly moist. The northern wind that wafted through the bricks and thorns would cool the office wing and move through the lobby.In order to further improve the natural ventilation, Elhanani placed a pool at the center of the lobby to help cool the air. In his plans, he even drew a few fish - a comic touch influenced by the charm of the Red Sea.Above the pool, a hanging staircase was positioned, the first of its kind in Israel, which became a source of pride for locals, and reinforced the building's innovative image.On the outside, the building was coated in granite mixed with local stone, which it gave a faded, desert tone.A cafe instead of stairsThe unique setting of the Philip Murray House and its place as a rarity in the Eilat landscape made it into a popular site for residents. The veterans remember the first film screenings which were occasionally interrupted by the criminals who settled in the city in its early years.Others recall the cool lobby which a few years later acquired a state-of-the-art air conditioner."It was the only place where you could eat ices without it dripping on you," says Tager."It became a meeting place because there really was no other place," says Merav Afek, who is currently the director of cultural programs there. "When no one had telephones or cellular phones, they would arrange to meet here. On weekends, there was public dancing in the plaza outside attended by thousands."Over the years, the building has had many renovations and changes. Two floors of concrete rooms were attached to the western side; the suspended staircase was dismantled to make way for a cafe. The lattice ceiling in the foyer was completely sealed as was the double facade with the natural cooling system.Similar changes are taking place in just about every one of the workers houses built across the country. The Histadrut is not making an effort to preserve its architectural assets and in the absence of supervision from the local authority, they are simply being lost.The Eilat Municipality is now planning to build a new concert hall, designed by Israeli-British architect Ron Arad. That is good news for culture lovers in the city, who must suffice with the small and outdated Philip Murray House auditorium, which has a capacity of just 320.However, there is hope that the new project will also include extensive and careful renovation of the first cultural center in Eilat, as befits its status and before it is too late.

http://www.haaretz.com/culture/arts-leisure/wilted-desert-rose-1.365231

Photo by: Noam Dvir