Ashkelon, Israel, Plans New Performing Arts Center
A 48,000-square-foot performing arts center and music and dance conservatory will be erected in Ashkelon in southern Israel. The structure will be designed by French architect Manuelle Gautrand in collaboration with Israeli architect Batya Swirk Malul.
The center will have two performance auditoriums, music and dance schools and a public square for outdoor performances. The $16.2 million structure will resemble a stack of boxes with a perforated metallic-sheet covering; and include an open-terrace lookout point with sweeping views of Ashkelon.
"We are excited to announce the construction of this new state-of-the-art performance center in southern Israel," said Haim Gutin, Israel Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America. "We hope it will serve as an architectural icon and propel Ashkelon as a cultural hub for art, music and dance."
