The Defense Ministry announced Sunday the winning bid in the tender for the rebuilding of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) Museum in Hatzerim, located in Southern Israel.
The Ministry of Defense's Engineering and Construction Department, in cooperation with the IAF, announced that they chose the bid submitted by Schwartz Besnosoff Architects to renovate the old museum, which has been using the same facilities since its opening in 1985.
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The New IAF museum (Credit: courtesy of the Defense Ministry)
(צילום: באדיבות משרד הביטחון)
According to the new plan, the museum will be turned into a roofed and air-conditioned facility spreading across more than 17 thousand square meters, which will be divided into several buildings presenting more than 80 aircrafts that served the IAF throughout its history.
In addition, the new museum will have interactive facilities allowing visitors to experience flight via simulators, and even use and install parts of the aircraft like IAF mechanics. In addition, visitors will be able to witness a battlefield through the eyes of Special Forces soldiers in the Israeli Air Defense Command, and through the eyes of drone operators.
According to the decision by the ministry and the IAF, the new museum will offer a plethora of visitation packages, which would make recurring visitations always fresh and interesting, offering new experiences on each visit.
66 architecture firms submitted bids for the tender, and each of the bids was examined by a team of 9 judges; civilians and army personnel, among them former mayor of Be'er Sheva and founder of the museum, Brig. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Turner.
Maj. Elisha, an architect and the project manager on behalf of the IAF's construction division said "we were really excited to learn that this contest will result in a new museum."
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The IAF Museum today; Using the same facilities for more than 30 years (Photo: Roee Idan)
(צילום: רועי עידן)
The contenders were asked to submit a plan for a museum that could stand among the best in the world, present the IAF's history and values, be used as a platform to promote scientific and technological education and serve as a display window for Israel's security industry.
"We gave priority to preserving the historical structures that exist in the museum today, display the IAF and all its parts and showcase the personnel that are the source of its strength," Elisha added. "The winning bid was the one that best met our criteria and was authorized by the head of the branch."
(Translated & edited by Lior Mor)