Ester Tower in Jerusalem, Israel
Customer Project
A wooden lookout tower called Ester, designed by renowned Czech architect Martin Rajniš, was inaugurated in Jerusalem in mid-November 2017. The tower, in the shape of a blooming cactus, is located in the gardens of a former hospital built in 1887, not far from the walls of the Old City, offering visitors a spectacular view over Jerusalem. It offers visitors a spectacular view over Jerusalem.
Structural Analysis |
TIMBER DESIGN s.r.o. Ing. Zbyněk Šrůtek (timber, steel, ETFE membrane) Česká Skalice, Czech Republic www.timberdesign.cz Prof. Dipl-Ing Michal Bar Ilan (Foundations) Israel |
Architects |
Prof. Ing. arch. Martin Rajniš, Ing. arch. Tomáš Kosnar Prague, Czech Republic hutarchitektury.cz |
Main Contractors |
Huť architektury Martin Rajniš s.r.o. Prague, Czech Republic hutarchitektury.cz TIMBER DESIGN s.r.o. Česká Skalice, Czech Republic www.timberdesign.cz Maik Engineers Ltd. Israel |
Model
All timber, steel, and membrane components of the structure were prefabricated in the Czech Republic and sent to Israel in two 39-foot containers. All components were fabricated in high quality, using both CNC technology and handicraft. This quality standard was an essential prerequisite for the successful and quick assembly in Israel.
All prefabricated components were assembled in a horizontal position, including the spiral stairway inside the wooden supporting cuboid.
Structure
The tower is anchored to the reinforced concrete foundation slab supported by four piles, each with a diameter of 14 inches and a length of 23 ft, bored mainly in rocky subsoil. The lookout tower consists of two main mutually acting structural systems. The 39.4-foot-high load-bearing main core is formed by four load-bearing main timber columns (11 × 11 inches - GL28h), which are set up at a center distance of 7.5 ft.
The basic framework is followed by the second structural system, forming the external shape of the tower. The cactus shape is achieved with an octagonal prism. All structural components are designed in a way so that it is possible to replace them with a new component at any time.
Above the viewing platform, the facade structure ends with a dome with a central steel ring gathering eight steel beams. The roof structure is designed in combination with the hot-dipped galvanized steel supporting frame and a special membrane made of ETFE foil. The designers have excellent experience with these membranes from the project of the “Gulliver” airship for the Center for Contemporary Art in Prague.
The Czech-Israeli project by the architect Martin Rajniš in the magical city of Jerusalem can serve as a symbolic expression of the traditionally good relations between the two countries.
Project Location
Gdalyahu Alon St 14,Write Comment...
Write Comment...
Contact Us
Do you have any further questions or need advice? Contact us via phone, email, chat or forum or find suggested solutions and useful tips on our FAQ page, available 24/7.

New
Saving Models as Blocks in RFEM 6
In RFEM 6 it is possible to save selected objects, as well as whole structures, as blocks and reuse them in other models. Three types of blocks can be distinguished: non-parameterized, parameterized, and dynamic blocks (via JavaScript). This article will focus on the first block type (non-parameterized).

New
Timber Design | Result Filter by Limit State
The design checks are available in a tabular form in the Timber Design add-on. The distribution of the design ratios can also be displayed graphically. There are extensive filter options available in the table as well as in the graphical output to display the desired design checks by a limit state or a design type.
-
How do I define a member as a cantilever and not as supported at both ends for serviceability or deflection design?
- I would like to export nodal support forces of several load cases, load combinations and result combinations into an Excel spreadsheet in RFEM 6. How should I proceed?
- Where can find the option to hide the defined types (for example, design supports or effective lengths)?
- How do I create a user-defined Design Situation with my own chosen load combinations?
- How can I neglect torsion in the steel and timber design?
- How do I perform stability analysis to determine the critical load factor in RFEM 6?
- Where can I find the materials for the corresponding National Annexes in RFEM 6 and RSTAB 9?
- How do I apply wind load on members of open structures?
- Is it also possible to use RF‑/TOWER Loading without the other TOWER add-on modules?
- What is the meaning of the superposition according to the CQC rule in a dynamic analysis??
- I would like to export nodal support forces of several load cases, load combinations and result combinations into an Excel spreadsheet in RFEM 6. How should I proceed?
Programs Used for Structural Analysis