About Ian:

Ian C. Ferguson is an independent scholar and curator who earned an M.A. in Art History at Carleton University in 2014. He had previously served in the Canadian diplomatic service. After visiting Tel Aviv in 2016, he was inspired to research its architectural history. He has lectured about Bauhaus and Tel Aviv to Canadian audiences in several cities in co-sponsorship with organizations such as the Art Deco Society of Montreal, the Toronto Architectural Conservancy and the Toronto Society of Architects. He has published articles in the Journal of Canadian Art History and the National Gallery of Canada online magazine. He also serves as a docent at the National Gallery of Canada.

Bauhaus & Tel Aviv

“Bauhaus and the White City of Tel Aviv” In this centenary year of the founding of the Bauhaus (1919-33), it is timely to take stock of the school’s radical innovations, combining design and architecture, and how its influence spread internationally. This case study looks at how Bauhaus (broadly defined) took root in a corner of the British Empire called the Palestine Mandate. The presentation will introduce pioneering Israeli architects who brought modernist ideals from Europe and applied them to both public and private buildings. Local adaptations to climate, topography and social structures helped ensured the style’s success while reflecting modernist aspirations of a new architecture for a future nation. The use of local materials such as silicate and cement bricks, Waschputz (washed plaster) and Kratzputz  (scraped plaster), the creative use of balconies, and adherence to principles of modern city planning advocated by Sir Patrick Geddes all contributed to a sustainable outcome which has permanently shaped Tel Aviv’s urban life and streetscapes. Other European influences will be illustrated with examples of more streamlined structures displaying Art Deco features, although always known locally as Bauhaus style. These diverse strands have combined to create a unique legacy in Tel Aviv, which counts nearly 1,000 historic structures, the largest collection of Bauhaus-style buildings anywhere in the world. It has earned the city a UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2003 for the creation of “an outstanding architectural ensemble of the Modern Movement in a new cultural context.” (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1096) Some contemporary examples of adaption of historic structures and efforts to capitalize on the style with new construction round out the presentation.  Author: Ian C. Ferguson is an independent scholar and curator who earned an M.A. in Art History at Carleton University in 2014. He had previously served in the Canadian diplomatic service. After visiting Tel Aviv in 2016, he was inspired to research its architectural history. He has lectured about Bauhaus and Tel Aviv to Canadian audiences in several cities in co-sponsorship with organizations such as the Art Deco Society of Montreal, the Toronto Architectural Conservancy and the Toronto Society of Architects. He has published articles in the Journal of Canadian Art History and the National Gallery of Canada online magazine. He also serves as a docent at the National Gallery of Canada.