by Lili Eylon

Caesarea, Israel is a city founded more than 2,000 years ago by Herod the Great, who dedicated it to Caesar Augustus. Many of Herod's structures are well preserved — the palace, aqueduct, hippodrome, and the amphitheater, which is a modern venue for concerts and plays, valued for its superb acoustics.

Most of these relics of imperial Rome, alongside restored 12th-century Crusader ruins, face the Mediterranean Sea in this impressive open archaeological site. Located about midway between Haifa and Tel Aviv, Caesarea is today a major Israeli tourist attraction and a wealthy villa community.

One of Caesarea's newest additions is a charming kindergarten that has just finished a successful first term. "It was a big challenge to build in a town where the ancient Romans constructed so splendidly," says architect David Knafo. He, his partner Tagit Limor, and their 15-person firm built the school where several dozen 4- and 5-year-olds spend most of their daylight hours.

Knafo adds: "These magnificent remains make us constantly conscious of history. We took the linear motif of the aqueduct and translated it into a contemporary building. The architectural language and color scheme are drawn from the sand dunes on which it is located."   >>>

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A new kindergarten in Caesarea, Israel by Knafo Klimor Architects. Photo: Knafo Klimor Architects The building's colors are drawn from the surrounding landscape. Photo: Knafo Klimor Architects   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.