Kiryat Wolfson
Kiryat Wolfson (Hebrew: קריית וולפסון), also known as Wolfson Towers, is a high-rise apartment complex in western Jerusalem. Comprising five towers ranging from 14 to 17 stories above-ground, the project was Jerusalem's first high-rise development. The project encountered opposition from both municipal officials and the public at each stage of its design and construction. The complex includes 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of commercial space and a medical center. The project was financed by the Edith and Isaac Wolfson Trust.
Kiryat Wolfson is situated on a ridge at the western edge of Sha'arei Hesed, northwest of Rehavia. The towers overlook the Valley of the Cross, the Knesset, and the Israel Museum.
In the early 1960s, Jerusalem Mayor Mordechai Ish-Shalom sought entrepreneurs to improve Jerusalem's cityscape. He approached Mordechai and Moshe Meir of Israel, business partners with Sir Charles Clore of England and Sir Isaac Wolfson, to invest in the city. With Ish-Shalom's assistance, Mordechai Meir selected a 32 acres (13 ha) plot overlooking the Valley of the Cross for an apartment project. The land was purchased from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and the Israel Land Administration for $1.2 million. To overcome the topographical drawbacks of the ridge, the developers applied for taller building rights. To convince the members of the Jerusalem planning committee to agree to the taller-than-normal construction, they hired a world-renowned architect, I. M. Pei, to design it.
In 1967 Pei submitted his design, which called for three towers of 29 stories each. The local planning committee responded with "total opposition", claiming that the towers would "dwarf the Knesset", which faced it across the valley. The committee rejected the design but said it would be prepared to issue permits for towers no higher than 16 stories. Pei refused to downsize the towers and resigned (or was fired) from the project.
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