July 2, 2008

Africa & Mideast | Israel | Jerusalem

Heady Times in the Holy Land

By Doug Black

Santiago Calatrava elevates the art of controversy.

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Even during a tenuous ceasefire with Hamas, tempers are flaring in Israel’s capital. We’re not talking about contested land, though — it’s to do with a 400-foot-tall bridge. Unveiled last week, Chords Bridge by Santiago Calatrava is Jerusalem’s tallest structure, and has successfully polarized one of the world’s most factional cities. Some are awed by the sweeping architecture (likened to the harp played by David in the Bible), while others question the $73-million price tag on a bridge they can’t even cross. Built for an unfinished light rail system, the bridge won’t get any use until 2010.

Whether fans or not, the city government clearly knows its math: Calatrava plus millions of dollars equals tourists. The Spanish architect has thrown an international spotlight on cities from Valencia to Milwaukee, and the bridge is just one element of a concerted push for tourists in the Holy Land. So far it’s paying off: 2007 saw the largest number of American tourists since Israel became a nation in 1948. And in spite of the weakened dollar, Israel is primed to break that record during its 60th anniversary this year.

Jerusalem shouldn’t have any trouble housing its visitors in style, either. The city’s hottest hotel chain, The Dan, recently opened its third property in the city. Dan Boutique (roof deck pictured) joins the Panorama and the King David (Israel’s gold standard, which bent over backwards to host George W. Bush in January). In addition to 129 smartly designed rooms, the hotel fills its public spaces with video art from students at nearby Bezalel Academy.

On a recent visit, globorati found the Dan’s eastern Jerusalem location convenient to the ancient walls of the Old City (just a 10-minute walk away), and directly across from an old Turkish railway station soon to house a world class animation studio. If you take your accommodations with a shot of history, you might set your sites on the dramatically transformed Mamilla-Alrov quarter around the ancient Jaffa Gate. Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie spent almost four decades planning the $400-million project, which opens later this year with 40 new high-end retail stores, gourmet kosher eateries and bars. Design fans can also look forward to the whitewashed interiors and liquid crystal dividers of the five-star Mamilla Hotel (interior pictured).

But the most highly-anticipated visitor to the Land of Milk and Honey comes from New York City. The famed Waldorf-Astoria recently announced plans to open the Palace Jerusalem where the former Palace Hotel stood on King David Street. The new hotel promises Manhattan luxury while retaining the original mix of Moorish, Roman and Arab architecture. Sadly, the Palace won’t be operational until 2010 — just in time to catch a ride on that spanking new light rail.