The Last Layer: a tour about Liebling Haus after the missile attack

This Haus tour focuses on the spaces, elements, and materials that were damaged by the blast wave from the nearby fall of the Iranian missile in Mugrabi Square. We will discuss ethical and practical issues of conservation: What is the meaning of preserving historic buildings when layers of time, life, and memory accumulate in them; how does the damage to the building and its restoration add to its story and historical layers; and what is more important -beauty or authenticity, functionality and innovation, or preserving the original material? We will talk about maintenance and restoration as sustainable practices, serving as a foundation for philosophical discussions about the essence of preservation, and more.

During the tour, we will address practical questions about the Haus renovation, such as how many historical materials are no longer produced today, how technologies have changed, how crafters are hard to find, and how everything has been replaced by cheap, industrially produced materials. We will discuss the difficulties and complexities of repair, as well as internal debates about whether it's worth replacing, renovating, or restoring. Where can you find professionals willing to accept the challenge, often doing work that may seem Sisyphean? We will also challenge some of the conservation concepts used today, which are mostly reconstructions.

Shira Levi Binyamini, CEO & Artistic Director, Liebling Haus