סטודיו אבידניSTUDIO AVIDANI

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The City Centre and the Old City are very special areas and the most important in Jerusalem; and indeed, in recent

years many efforts and resources have been invested in reviving the City Centre and the Old City and improving

public space. Although the facades of the businesses are not in the public domain, they still constitute a most

significant layer in its appearance.

So far around 300 windows have been upgraded in the City Centre, mostly along the Jaffa Road, and many new

businesses have been opened, that boast standard and beautiful display windows. These data are encouraging

and we hope that they will provide a source of inspiration to additional business owners in the City Centre and

the Old City.

We turn to each and one of you to upgrade your business display window and thereby take responsibility for your

part in improving trade and appearance in the City Centre and the Old City and contribution thereto. Given the

public importance of the success of this project in the City Centre, the Jerusalem Development Authority and the

Eden Company offer financial subsidies and professional advice to businesses for upgrading their facades.

Remember that an attractive facade helps branding the business space as an exclusive area and business owners

will get economic benefit both individually and collectively.

The purpose of this booklet is to set uniform and appropriate standards for business facades in the City Centre and

the Old City.

The guidelines relate to the external upgrade of the display window, but we call upon you to pay attention to

the design and installation of decorative lighting in the window and to the styling of the interior of the business

as a whole.

The upgrade process, as well as the brochure, has been planned in coordination with the Business Owners

Committee and the City Centre Communal Administration, through reaching joint consents. It must be

remembered that any change in the facade of the business, may it be even the smallest one, must be coordinated

with the municipality. In the Old City an approval from the Antiquities Authority must be obtained.

Applications concerning the upgrade of commercial facades:

City Centre: City Centre Communal Administration – Rachel Ben Moshe: 02-6235780

The Eden Company: 02-6297966

The Old City: Old City Communal Administration – Ariberto: 02-6214771

The Jerusalem Development Authority: 02-6295398

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Stone Facades

Air Conditioning and Ventilation Systems

Awnings

Gratings

Display Windows and Doorways

Signage

01.

02.

03.

04.

05.

06.

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The display window is the business visiting card, and as such it should be inviting, eye pleasing and representative.

Therefore, in addition to the following guidelines, it is recommended to pay careful attention to the business

design, as it is visible from the street through the display window.

Moreover, the display window should be perfectly integrated into the facade of the building and add to the fine

appearance of the street exposures.

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Guidelines for the City Centre and Old City:

The size of the display window must not exceed the size of the •

openings in the facade.

The components of the display window must not conceal or harm •

architectural elements, such as stone and metal openwork.

The surface of the display window shall be sunk at least 15 cm into •

the surface of the stone facade.

Display windows may be installed without any frame or with a steel •

profile frame (“Belgian Profile”).

It is recommended that the frame be concealed behind the exposed •

stone as much as possible.

Requests for installation of display windows from other materials •

shall be considered on a case by case basis.

Glass shall comply with the requirements of Israeli Standard 1099 •

(shatterproof or secured glass)

It is recommended that most of the area of the display window be •

made of transparent glass, while possibly incorporating elements of

milky glass or other materials, including opaque materials.

Reflective glass may not be used under any circumstances.•

The doorway must be at least 80 cm wide and free of any obstacles.•

A doorway, which is entirely made of glass, must carry a warning sign •

in a colour contrasting to that of the background, with a diameter of

at least 8 cm. Signs shall be installed at a height of 130-160 cm from

the floor.

No advertising stickers may be posted on display windows.•

Window made of glass only, without profiles

Window made of steel profiles and glass

Window made of mixed materials

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The gratings are intended to secure the business during closed hours. During working hours the grating

should be concealed as much as possible as to not constitute a deterring element, and in order to leave an

inviting and eye pleasing facade.

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Guidelines for the Entire City:

Gratings will be of the rolling type and placed at an inner •

surface parallel to that of the display window.

The rolling box will be internal only, hidden within the inner •

space of the business, covered with tin or aluminum tin in a

colour other than white. The preferred type is a rolling grating

made of mesh elements or perforated slats, galvanized or in a

colour other than white.

Alternatively, folding steel gratings (“Accordion”) may •

be installed, as long as they are opened inwards and

perpendicularly to the display window.

In the Old City, or other locations designated for preservation, •

traditional metal shutters are allowed (in accordance with the

current type), with outward opening at 180 degrees.

Guidelines for Market Areas:

In historic markets priority shall be given to traditional metal 180-•

degrees outward opening shutters (such as those present today).

When possible, the shutters will be recessed about 15 cm •

from the stone facade, and the opening will be a sliding out

accordion opening, while the protruding part when opened

must not exceed 30 cm from the stone line.

If the shutters cannot be recessed in respect with the stone •

facade, they shall feature180-degrees outward opening. The

shutter shall be at a 0 angle in respect with the stone facade,

as not to hide the building opening, in coordination with the

project architect for the details.

Alternatively, a rolling grating may be installed according to the •

general city instructions, subject to the approval of the project

architect.

Rolling mesh grating – allows seeing through into the store even when closed

Opaque steel shutters, recessed from the stone line, in a preserved complex

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The awnings comprise a central element in the facade of the building and the appearance of

the street alike, and therefore great attention should be given to their design and installation.

The function of the awning is to shade the display window, and it is not intended to serve as protection

from the rain.

Hence, the awning shall be of the folding type and used only during times of direct sunshine.

Attention: A construction permit is required for the placement of an awning or a permanent sunshade.

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Guidelines for the City Centre & Old City, Except Markets:

The awning location, size, positioning angle and colour shall be •

identical for all businesses situated at the same building, in order to

grant a uniform appearance to the building.

The width of the opening will be the same as that of the opening, •

and it will be placed in as not to obscure the building architectural

elements, such as stone and iron openwork.

When open, the depth of the awning must not exceed 150 cm, •

and in any case, the distance between the tip of the awning to the

edge of the pavement, when open,shall be at least 60 cm, excluding

exceptional cases (for example: awnings of cafes or high doorways).

The awning minimal height above the ground will be 240 cm.•

Awnings will be made from durable “Darlon” fabric or equivalent, •

and from a water repelling material.

Signs may be posted on awnings, provided that the caption is •

restricted to the awning trail and the height of the letters is no less

than 7.5 cm and no more than 30 cm.

No cloth awnings of any type will be permitted in the Old City; •

special cases shall be treated separately, in coordination with the

project architect.

Guidelines for Market Areas:

Permanent tin sunshades may be placed in markets in accordance

with the site typical style. In locations where no dominant style exists,

the option of installing a sunshade and its style be considered on a

case by case basis.

Folding fabric awning with steel construction

Fabric awnings in openings with building decorations

Folding fabric awning above a square opening

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Air conditioning and ventilation systems hanging over building facades create “visual pollution”, they spoil the

facade appearance and constitute an environmental hazard. Therefore, such systems should be positioned inside

the building, as concealed and far as possible from the public.

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Guidelines for the City Centre & Old City:

Air conditioning units must not be placed on the building facade •

(suggested alternatives: roof space, backyard, postern))

In case an air conditioner can only be placed at the facade, it shall •

be done under the following conditions:

• The air conditioner shall be placed within the business inner

space, and no part shall protrude from the surface of the display

window.

• The intake shall be concealed by a galvanized and painted board

of tin slats or a grating placed on the surface of the display

window or the signage.

• The air conditioning piping must be installed inside the building

or within the walls and not onto the external facade. When no

other option exists, provided the project architect's approval,

exposed piping shall be placed in galvanized tin conduits/nets.

• Ventilation systems required for restaurants and food retailers

shall meet the set standards and be subject to the approval

of the Department of Environment of the Municipality of

Jerusalem.

• At sites in the Old City where none of the above suggested

alternatives can be used, the possibility will be considered of

using a concealment element in accordance with the Streetscape

guidelines, as the case may be, in coordination with the project

architect.

Air conditioner concealed by a glass panel, as part of the display window

Air conditioner motor concealed by a metal grid, covered with a few-letters signage

Air conditioner motor concealed by a panel of steel slats

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Signage for businesses facing the street may take one of the following forms:

A signboard, and/or individual letter signage within the frame of the opening of the business for which the signage

is intended (windows, doors, display windows).

Only in exceptional cases will it be permitted to post signage outside the business opening, in which case this shall

be done by using individual letters only.

Note: Prior to installing any signage, approval must be obtained from Mr. David Golan of the Division for Business

Promotion for at the Jerusalem Municipality. Tel.: 02-6296463.

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Guidelines for the City Centre & Old City:

Only one sign will be permitted per business.•

In the case of a business located at a street corner, or other •exceptional cases, one additional sign may be permitted.

The sign will be placed within the boundaries of the business original •openings (door, window, display window) and not over the stone facade.

The position of the sign surface shall be recessed inward by at least •10 cm in respect with the stone line / building facade.

The signboard may be placed at any location at the opening at a •height of over 220 cm. In case another signboard exists on the same floor in the building, which has been placed in accordance with these guidelines and approved by the municipality, the positioning of all subsequently installed signboards on the same floor shall correspond with the position of the approved board.

The signboard shall not obscure or harm architectural elements such •as: iron gratings, stone engravings etc.

Should the opening, where the positioning of the signboard has •been requested, have an arched, round, polygonal or decorated shape or carry openwork, the signboard shall be placed only at the right-angled part of the opening.

At least 50% of the sign caption shall be in Hebrew• .

Shape of the Signboard

The signboard shall be in the form of a horizontal rectangle and •stretch between the opening doorposts.

A different shape may be assigned to the signboard, as long as the •signboard surface is positioned and integrated into the surface of the display window, and provided that the suggested solution applies to all businesses on the same floor. In any case when another signboard exists in the building, which has been placed in accordance with these guidelines and approved by the municipality, all signboards on the same floor shall have the identical location and shape of the approved board.

Steel signboard, embedded in the display window

Sticker signage with no background over transparent glass

Signboard made of ceramic tiles in the window area framework

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Signboard Illumination

The illumination of the signboard may be provided from the back (lit

box) or the front (flood lighting), or through illuminated letters (neon

lighting), according to the following guidelines:

Lit box

The outer surface of the lit box shall not extend beyond the surface of

the display window, and in any case be positioned in a recess, at least

10 cm from the stone line.

In the Old City, only a sign made of metal letters with back illumination

shall be allowed. No illuminated letter signs will be allowed.

Flood lighting

The light source shall not protrude more than 50 cm from the line •

of the business facade and shall not be lower than 220 cm than the

pavement level.

The beam of the light source shall be directed at the sign only.•

The wiring of the light source will be concealed and not visible on •

the building facade.

Should there be a protruding awning above the sign, the light •

sources shall be connected to it.

The colour of the light source and connecting accessories will be •

either black or grey.

Lit box placed behind the window

Lit individual letters over stone above the opening

Recessed lit box in the stone opening framework

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Individual Letters on Business Openings

A business signage may use a sequence of individual letters and/or

a logo, which shall be integrated into the opening, according to the

following guidelines:

The letters and/or logo shall be concentrated at the upper part of •

the openings, above the doorway.

The area of the logo shall not exceed 40 sq. cm.•

The height of each letter in the logo shall be no less than 14 cm.•

Each letter and logo shall be illuminated separately and from the •

back with a concealed light source (cold cathode). The wiring of

the light sources will be concealed. Alternatively, it is possible to

illuminate the sign using flood lighting as stated above.

Individual Letters Outside the Business Opening

A business signage may consist of letters over the business facade, or

outside the openings only when special justified circumstances exist,

and subject to the approval of the city planner.

In such a case, each letter and/or logo shall be illuminated separately

and from the back by a concealed light source.

The light source wiring shall be concealed. Alternatively, signs may be

illuminated using flood lighting as stated above.

In the Old City, only signs made of metal letters will be approved, lit by

back illumination. No illuminated letter signs will be allowed.

Signage on Awnings

Signage may be placed on awnings as long as the signage field is on

the awning trail. In any case, the height of the letters shall be no less

than 7.5 cm and no more than 30 cm.

Individual letters over stone above the opening

Individual letters over glass

Individual letters over an opaque part of the opening framework

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Signage on Pillar Colonnades

Signs maybe positioned on the surface of the colonnade pillars only

in exceptional cases and under special justified circumstances. In any

case, all business signage in recess of a colonnade shall be of uniform

type and materials.

ארגז מואר בתוך מסגרת פתח האבן ושקוע פנימה

Signage on colonnade pillars, made of individual letters

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Upright Signage

Upright signage (signage perpendicularly attached to the building

facade) may be placed on the ground floor, provided that the distance

between the facade under discussion and the building facade /

building line over the street does not exceed 8 metres. This limitation

does not apply to pharmacies and tourist information centres.

Only a single upright sign maybe placed for each business.

The sign shall meet the following criteria:

The sign must be two-sided.•

The area of the sign shall not exceed 50 cm and it shall not protrude •

more than 85 cm from the facade wall.

The distance of the sign lowest point from the surface of the •

pavement will be no less than 220 cm.

In case a flat sign already exists at the business opening, the height •

of the upright post shall be identical to that of the flat one.

An upright sign may be illuminated by either inner or outer lighting. •

In preservation areas the signs shall be designed in accordance with

the detailed plan of the whole area.

Flat metal sign

Upright sign made of ceramic tiles

Upright sign with concealed illumination

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Signage for Rear or Upper Floor Businesses:

Signage for rear or upper floor businesses will be in the form of a •

concentrated board next to the building entrance or two identical

boards on both sides of the building, when necessary. The board/s

shall enable the replacement of signage according to business

rotation.

Signs on the wall next to the entrance shall be installed so that the •

top end of the sign will be at a height of no more than 170 cm and the

lower end at no less than 120 cm above ground. The height of each

letter will not be less than 3 cm.

In special cases, and provided the approval of the city planner, •

individual letter signage for a rear or upper floor shop/business may

be displayed on the facade, provided that:

• The top end of the letters shall not be higher than 12 metres

above ground.

• The height of the letters/logo shall be at least 14 cm and 40 cm at

most.

Facade signage for a rear business

Entire building sign

Combination of logo with individual letters

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Building Signage

A sign may be placed on the building facade in the form of individual

letters and/or a logo to indicate the business occupying the entire

building (such as a hotel), as long as:

The sign does not extend beyond the structure facade as •

approved in the construction permit.

The sign is attached to the facade.•

The size and location of the sign does not overshadow the •

building and/or its surroundings.

In special cases and provided the approval of the city planner one •

additional sign may be provided.

Non facade signage

In cases where the building housing the business is concealed from

the commercial front line of the street, and/or is located deep inside

the plot, or in other special cases (such as gas stations), a commercial

sign may be placed not on the building itself but rather in front of it

(integrated into a fence or a structure element).

In any case, the sign shall be located over the private area, and requests

of this kind will be dealt with individually.

Signage on preserved buildings

All the above mentioned guidelines apply, as long as the signage is

made up of individual letters and not signboards or signage boxes.

Moreover, signage on a preserved building requires extra caution

regarding its style and implementation.

Requests for signage on preserved buildings will be discussed

separately in each case and based on particularly rigorous style

considerations.

Individual letters and logo

Industry and office building

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The unique character of Jerusalem owes much to the fact that throughout its history, most of its buildings

have been built of stone.

The requirement of stone facades in Jerusalem is today anchored in legislation.

Apart from its obvious visual advantage, stone makes for a durable and long lasting material.

And yet, even stone requires continuous maintenance to guarantee its appearance and durability

against environmental hazards and damages caused in the course of time.

Inadequately maintained stone facades impart the building with a neglected and miserable look, harming

the degree of attractiveness of the business situated in it.

Cleaning the stone facades is a significant step towards improving the building appearance, but one must

ensure that cleaning is performed professionally, since an amateurish cleaning process might expedite the

erosion rate and increase the absorption of pollution and dirt.

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Various infrastructure lines such as electricity and telephone wires and

water, gas and sewage pipes, extending along building facades, also

contribute to the damage inflicted on the structure appearance.

The Municipality of Jerusalem acts in conjunction with infrastructure

firms for the removal of hazards under their responsibility. At the same

time, property and business owners traders are required not to add

ducts and infrastructure lines over building facades.

Stone is occasionally damaged, broken or relocated. Part of the

continuous treatment of the stone includes repair and completion

of each damaged stone. These repairs should be performed with the

assistance of professionals

Cleaning Instructions

Th• e preferred cleaning method is washing the stone wall with

water only, with or without pressure, while protecting against water

penetration through the structure openings.

In cases when dirt cannot be washed away with water or when •

washing is impossible, cleaning will be performed by spraying very

thin sand at low pressure.

On facades where a concern exists about stone damage, or on •

facade segments with stone carvings and inscriptions, cleaning

should be performed using water only.

Following sandblast cleaning, the facade will be washed using •

pressurised water to remove leftover sand residues from the

cleaning process.

Cleaning shall be performed at night-time only, using basket cranes •

and without scaffolding.

The working area should be left clean each morning.•

In the Old City, every action involving cleaning of stone facades •

requires coordination with and the approval of the Antiquities

Authority.

Museum of Italy Jewish Heritage

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Written by: Arch. Micha Bin Nun and Chief Architect Ofer Manor

In collaboration with: Arch. Nilly Hod and Moshe Atadgy; City Centre Communal Administration –

City Center Business Owners Committee

Update & Edition: Arch. Sharon Abramson and Arch. Dana Burschtein

Design and Publishing: Studio Avidani, Jerusalem

Photographs: Arch. Ofer Manor, Arch. Ella Balkalev, Arch. Sharon Abramson

Illustration: Arch. Ella Balkalev