Ester Tower in Jerusalem, Israel

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Blooming cactus (© Ing. Zbyněk Šrůtek)

View of the construction from the neighboring garden (© Ing. Zbyněk Šrůtek)

Model of the structure Ester Tower in RFEM

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4 March 2018

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

A wooden lookout tower called Ester was inaugurated in Jerusalem in mid-November 2017. The tower in the shape of a blooming cactus, designed by the renowned Czech architect Martin Rajniš, is located in the gardens of a former hospital, built in 1887, not far from the walls of the Old City. It offers visitors a spectacular view over Jerusalem.

All timber, steel and membrane components of the structure have been prefabricated in the Czech Republic and sent to Israel in two twelve-meter 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 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 35 cm and a length of 7 m, bored mainly in rocky subsoil. The lookout tower consists of two main mutually acting structural systems. Four supporting timber columns (28 × 28 cm - GL28h) which are set in the axial distance of 2.3 m form the load-bearing core with the height of 12 m.

The basic framework is followed by the second structural system, forming the external shape of the tower. The cactus shape is achieved by an octagonal prism. All structural components are designed in the way that it is possible to replace them by a new component at any time.

Above the viewing platform, the facade structure is ended by 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 the ETFE foil. The designers have excellent experience with these membranes from the project of the airship “Gulliver” for the Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague.

The Czech-Israeli project of the architect Martin Rajniš in the magic city of Jerusalem can serve as a means of expressing the traditionally good relations between both countries.

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