Merkaz HaKongresim HaBeinLeumi | |
Binyanei HaUma | |
 ICC in January 2006 | |
 Interactive map of International Convention Center | |
| Location | Givat Ram,Jerusalem,Israel |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°47′10″N35°12′10″E / 31.7862°N 35.2027°E /31.7862; 35.2027 |
| Owner | Jewish Agency for Israel |
| Capacity | 3,104 (auditorium) |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1950–63 |
| Opened | 1956 |
| Architect | Zeev Rechter |
| Website | |
| ICC.co.il | |
TheInternational Convention Center (Hebrew:מרכז הקונגרסים הבינלאומי,Merkaz HaKongresim HaBeinLeumi), commonly known asBinyanei HaUma (Hebrew:בנייני האומה,lit. 'Buildings of the nation'), is a concert hall and convention center inGiv'at Ram inJerusalem,Israel.
Binyanei Ha'Uma was first envisioned byAlexander Ezer (who later became its managing director) and planned by architectZeev Rechter who won the design competition in 1949.[1]
The complex was under construction from 1950 to 1963.[2] In 1953, it was the site of Israel's first international exhibition, theConquest of the Desert.[3][4] In 1951, the Twenty-third Zionist Congress, conducted by theWorld Zionist Organization, convened at the center, which was far from completion.[5]
The period ofeconomic difficulty and austerity in the first decade of Israeli independence led to frequent disruption in construction due to lack of funds, and the project was sometimes disparagingly calledHirbet HaUma, the National Ruin.[citation needed] Rechter's design was a solid structure faced inJerusalem stone. Instead of a monumentalrelief by artistsJoseph Zaritsky andYitzhak Danziger as originally planned, the facade was covered withazure-coloured glass panels.
Located opposite theJerusalem Central Bus Station at the western entrance to town, the centre houses 27 halls capable of seating over 10,000 people, and is a member of the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) andICCA and conforms to their international standards. Its largest hall, theMenachem Ussishkin auditorium, seats 3,104. In all, 12,000 square metres (130,000 sq ft) of exhibit space extend over two levels and ten display areas.[6]
Binyanei Ha'Uma is the home of theJerusalem Symphony Orchestra.[7] The complex has hosted many international events, among them theEurovision Song Contest 1979 andEurovision Song Contest 1999.[8] From 1963 to 2014, it was the site of theJerusalem International Book Fair.[9] The trial ofJohn Demjanjuk was held there.[10][11]
Plans are being discussed to enlarge the ICC by 30,000 square metres (320,000 sq ft), doubling of the parking space, adding three office towers, commercial space and a hotel.
The Center serves as a historical setting inRobert J. Sawyer's 1997 novelFrameshift. It serves as a post-World War II venue for awar crimes trial, in which aNazi camp guard is prosecuted foratrocities against the Jewish prisoners.[12]
Excavations conducted near the International Convention Center uncovered a large industrial pottery production site active from the late 2nd century BCE through the 2nd century CE. During theSecond Temple period, it was the largest known pottery manufacturing center in the Jerusalem area, supplying cooking and storage vessels to the city's Jewish population and pilgrims. The site featured independent workshops, ritual baths (miqva'ot), and kilns, with production continuing on a reduced scale even after thedestruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE under Roman oversight by theTenth Legion.[13]
Among the finds was a reusedcolumn drum bearing a three-line inscription inHebrew script, dated paleographically to the 1st century BCE. The inscription reads: "Hananiah son of Daidalos/Dodlos from Jerusalem," and, according to its excavators, may represent the earliest known occurrence of the full spelling ofJerusalem (ירושלים; YRWŠLYM)—instead of the more common shortened forms YRWŠLM or YRŠLM—in the archaeological record.[13]
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| Preceded by | Eurovision Song Contest Venue 1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Eurovision Song Contest Venue 1979 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
