Embracing the Uncomfortable (Bauhaus in Tel Aviv)

Discovering Bauhaus in Tel Aviv

When I photograph architecture, I rarely feel that I need to show an entire building. Sometimes the part that catches my attention is much smaller: a balcony, a window, the way two lines meet, or the way sunlight creates a shadow across a façade.

That was the case when I photographed this example of Bauhaus in Tel Aviv. Looking upwards, the building became less about documenting a piece of architecture and more about its shapes. The rounded balconies seem to stack above one another before the entire façade narrows towards the blue sky.

It is simple, but that's exactly what made me stop.

Tel Aviv is full of architectural details like this. You can walk past a building without giving it much thought, then change your perspective and suddenly notice a curve, a shadow or a composition that completely transforms it.

The Architecture Behind Tel Aviv's White City

One of the things that makes Bauhaus in Tel Aviv so distinctive is how strongly modernist architecture has shaped the visual identity of the city. Tel Aviv's White City contains thousands of buildings associated with the International Style and was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.

Although the term "Bauhaus" is commonly used when talking about Tel Aviv architecture, the story is slightly more complex. The city's modernist buildings were influenced by the Bauhaus school and wider European modernism, with architects adapting those ideas to Tel Aviv's Mediterranean climate.

That adaptation is one of the details I find particularly interesting. The architecture isn't simply something imported and reproduced unchanged. Features such as balconies, recessed windows and shaded areas responded to the strong sun and warm climate, giving the buildings a character of their own.

You don't necessarily need to know the architectural history to appreciate them, though. Walking through Tel Aviv, you begin to recognise the visual language almost instinctively.

Looking Up at Bauhaus Architecture

This photograph is a good example of why I try to remember to look up when I'm exploring a city.

Seen straight on, this might simply be another pale façade. From underneath, however, the curved balconies become the photograph.

I liked how the architecture seemed to stretch towards a single point. The soft cream and white tones of the building sit against a pale blue sky, while the curves repeat through the frame. There is almost nothing else competing for your attention.

It's a much quieter way of photographing Bauhaus architecture in Tel Aviv.

Rather than showing the building in its urban surroundings, I wanted to remove as much context as possible. The result sits somewhere between Tel Aviv architecture photography and an abstract image. You know you're looking at a building, but for a moment it can also simply be about shape, texture and light.

The Imperfections Are Part of It

Something else I like about the photograph is that the building isn't perfectly white or pristine.

You can see small marks and variations across the surface. The colour changes slightly from one section to another, and the façade carries traces of age and exposure to the city around it.

For me, that makes it more interesting.

Architecture doesn't exist separately from the people and places around it. Buildings change. Surfaces weather. Paint fades. Balconies are used. The strong Tel Aviv sun changes the way a façade looks throughout the day.

Those imperfections prevent the architecture from becoming too clinical. They remind me that these aren't museum pieces; they're part of a living city.

It's one of the reasons Bauhaus in Tel Aviv continues to interest me photographically. There is the order and simplicity of modernist design, but there is also everything that has happened to those buildings since they were constructed.

Photographing a Different Side of Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv gives you plenty of obvious things to photograph. There is the Mediterranean, the beach, palm trees, markets and streets filled with people. But some of my favourite photographs from the city come from simply walking and noticing details.

The architecture is a big part of that.

Sometimes I photograph an entire building because its relationship with the surrounding street is what interests me. Other times, as with this photograph, I want to get much closer and remove almost everything except the detail that originally caught my eye.

Both approaches are part of how I remember Tel Aviv.

The photographs aren't only records of places I visited. They're records of the things I noticed while I was there.

Bringing Tel Aviv Architecture Into Your Home

If you're drawn to Bauhaus in Tel Aviv, perhaps because you've lived in the city, travelled there or simply love modernist architecture, these buildings have a way of becoming closely connected to how you remember the place. Their curved balconies, pale façades and geometric forms are part of Tel Aviv's visual identity.

My Tel Aviv Fine Art Print Collection explores that side of the city alongside its colourful streets, everyday places and quieter architectural details. Some photographs show recognisable locations, while others focus on the shapes, colours and moments that made me stop while walking.

If you're looking for art that reminds you of Tel Aviv rather than simply decorating a wall, I hope you'll find a photograph that brings back something of the city for you.