Courtyards Between Two Volumes Open Up Views
Innovate Ltd., a specialist in office furniture, has established its headquarters and showroom in an industrial area of Even Yehuda, Israel, where open fields meet a major road. Designed by Pitsou Kedem Architects, the three-story building has a total floor area of 8,270 m2 on a 5,020 m2 site. Given its exposed location, where all elevations are visible from the road and surrounding properties, the design creates a distinct presence without excessive formal expression. To distinguish the headquarters and showroom while unifying them within a single building, the architects arranged three volumes at angles and linked them with bridge-like connections. This configuration opens up views from multiple directions and prevents the building from appearing closed or bulky.
A large open-air courtyard occupies the space between the volumes, bringing daylight and greenery into the heart of the building. Accessible from all major areas, it provides a visual focus for the offices and showroom that face it. The courtyard remains visible from corridors and shared circulation areas, encouraging visual interaction and encounters among users beyond the simple act of moving through the building.
On the ground floor, a transparent glass façade exposes the showroom and its furniture displays. Visitors can view the collection before entering, while the open frontage softens the boundary between the building and its surroundings. The office floors are screened by more than 10,000 aluminum louvers, each 9 meters long. Their spacing preserves outward views while controlling direct sunlight and external sightlines. This double-skin façade filters daylight and provides a degree of privacy for the workspaces. Depending on the viewing angle and time of day, the louvers overlap differently, shifting the façade between a dense, solid appearance and a lighter, more transparent one.
Thick exposed-concrete walls give the volumes a more enclosed character and anchor them to the ground. Their solidity contrasts with the lightness of the glass and aluminum louvers, distinguishing the building‘s different functions while maintaining a unified architectural language. The first-floor auditorium volume rises above the central part of the building, expressing the slope of the seating inside. Its prominent form above the entrance adds variation to the façade and marks the auditorium’s presence.
Project: Innovate Showroom&Headquarters / Location: Even Yehuda, Israel / Architect: Pitsou Kedem / Design Team: Hadas Einav, Shir Netzer / Project Management: Asaf Lupo Ltd. / Use: showroom & office space / Site area: 5,000 m2 / Bldg. area: 5,200m2 / Gross floor area: 5,020m2 / Design year: 2019 / Construction year: 2020 – 2024 / Completion year: 2024 / Photograph: ©Amit Geron (courtesy of the architect)
