Clad entirely in glass, James Carpenter Design Associates’ new pavilions for the Israel Musuem are set within an envelope of custom-designed terra-cotta louvers that allow for the interiors to be lit naturally, with minimum direct sunlight and heat gain.
The design team tested the light-reflecting capabilities of different louver shapes to find the best forms for maximizing diffused natural illumination, depending on whether the louvers were for the new structures' north-south façades or east-west ones. (Both can be seen in this photo.)
An axial campus-circulation spine was an integral part of the architects design for the Israel Museum. At grade, the path guides visitors from the campus entrance to the gallery-entrance pavilion.
Below grade, along the axial campus-circulation spine, a subterranean space leads to the exhibition galleries.
