Tel Aviv Services & Professionals Architects

The 8 Best Architects in Tel Aviv (2026)

Updated July 2026 · 8 picks

The best architecture firms in Tel Aviv in 2026 include Kimmel Eshkolot Architects, Bar Orian Architects and Pitsou Kedem Architects. Tel Aviv is where almost all of Israel's significant practices are based, and the work splits between preservation of the White City, new residential towers, and public and cultural buildings. Below are eight firms and what each is strongest at.

1. Kimmel Eshkolot Architects

Award-winning practice behind many of Israel's most significant public buildings.

Specialty Public and cultural buildings, urban design, residentialLanguages Hebrew · EnglishBest for Public bodies, institutions, developers

Kimmel Eshkolot was founded in Tel Aviv in 1986 by Etan Kimmel and Michal Kimmel-Eshkolot, and has won a series of national competitions for high-profile public projects — among them the expansion of the government compound in Jerusalem, the Davidson Museum near the Western Wall, and the memorial centre at Mount Herzl.

The practice works across urban design, public buildings, residential and interiors, and it is one of the few Israeli offices with a genuinely international profile. It is the kind of firm you approach for a project with a civic dimension rather than a private apartment.

Good to know: Competition-winning practices are geared to large projects — expect a matching timetable and process.

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2. Bar Orian Architects — Balfour Street

The practice most identified with the architectural renewal of old Tel Aviv.

Specialty Preservation and adaptive reuse, high-rise, urban planningLanguages Hebrew · EnglishBest for Developers, preservation projects, institutional clients

Bar Orian Architects was established by Tal and Gidi Bar Orian in 1990 and first made its name in preservation, developing an approach to additions and extensions of historic structures that drew international attention.

It is credited as the main creative force behind the architectural reinvention of the old city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, and today works across a much wider range including high-rises and infrastructure, with in-house design, construction, engineering and urban planning capability.

Good to know: The obvious first call for a listed or preserved building in the White City.

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3. Pitsou Kedem Architects

The most published Israeli studio for private houses and high-end residential.

Specialty Private houses, high-end residential, interiors, restaurantsLanguages Hebrew · EnglishBest for Private clients, high-end residential, hospitality

Founded in 2000, Pitsou Kedem Architects has spent two decades building a portfolio of private houses, apartments and commercial spaces, mostly in Israel and increasingly abroad.

The work is defined by geometric clarity, restraint and a careful handling of light and material, and the studio takes architecture and interior design as one commission. For a private house or a substantial apartment reworking, it is among the strongest options in the city.

Good to know: Best suited to clients who want a strong architectural position rather than a neutral one.

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4. Moshe Safdie Architects — Nahalat Binyamin

A global practice with an Israeli office and some of the country's landmark buildings.

Specialty Cultural and civic buildings, transport, masterplanningLanguages English · HebrewBest for Institutions, public bodies, large-scale developers

Moshe Safdie's practice maintains an office in Tel Aviv on Nahalat Binyamin alongside its international studios, and in Israel it is best known for Yad Vashem's Holocaust History Museum and Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Airport.

This is a large-project office: cultural institutions, transport infrastructure and masterplanning rather than private residential. Its presence in the city is one of the reasons Tel Aviv punches above its weight in international architecture.

Good to know: Not a private-house practice — look here for institutional and civic projects.

Google Maps Website

5. Chyutin Architects

Long-established practice known for public and cultural buildings in context.

Specialty Public, cultural and academic buildingsLanguages Hebrew · EnglishBest for Universities, cultural institutions, public bodies

Chyutin Architects was founded in 1978 by Bracha and Michael Chyutin and is among the most established names in Israeli architecture, recognised for public and cultural buildings that respond to their historical and geographical setting.

It remains one of the practices most frequently cited when Israeli architecture is discussed seriously, with a portfolio weighted towards institutional, academic and cultural work rather than commercial development.

Good to know: Strong choice where a building has to sit convincingly in a historically loaded site.

Google Maps Website

6. Mochly-Eldar Architects

One of the country's largest practices, covering architecture, landscape and planning.

Specialty Architecture, landscape architecture and urban planningLanguages Hebrew · EnglishBest for Developers, municipalities, institutional clients

Established in 1972, Mochly-Eldar is one of Israel's leading architectural firms, offering architecture, landscape design and urban planning as a combined service.

The breadth is the point: for a large mixed-use or campus project, having landscape and planning in the same office removes a whole layer of coordination. It is a firm built for scale rather than for a single apartment.

Good to know: Worth considering when the site work matters as much as the building.

Google Maps Website

7. HQ Architects

A younger Tel Aviv practice known for inventive public space projects.

Specialty Urban design, public space, architectureLanguages Hebrew · EnglishBest for Municipalities, developers, cultural clients

HQ Architects is a Tel Aviv-based studio working across architecture and urban design, and it built its reputation on public space interventions that are unusually playful for the Israeli market.

The office takes on buildings as well, but the public-realm work is what distinguishes it — a useful profile for clients who want the space around a project to be treated as seriously as the building itself.

Good to know: Good fit where the brief includes a plaza, courtyard or streetscape rather than only a building.

Google Maps Website

8. Ilan Pivko Architects

A long-running Tel Aviv office with a substantial residential and hotel portfolio.

Specialty Residential buildings, hotels, private housesLanguages Hebrew · EnglishBest for Developers, hotel operators, private clients

Ilan Pivko's practice has been a fixture of the Tel Aviv scene for decades, with a body of work spanning residential buildings, hotels, public projects and private houses.

It is one of the offices whose buildings you have probably walked past without noting the name — a large, steadily productive practice rather than a competition-driven one. That makes it a practical choice for developer-side residential work.

Good to know: Ask to visit a completed residential building rather than only reviewing renders.

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an architect to renovate in Tel Aviv?

For anything structural, yes — and for anything requiring a building permit you will need a licensed architect or engineer to sign the drawings. Even where a permit is not strictly required, a small apartment with a difficult plan usually repays the fee several times over, because the value comes from the layout rather than the finishes.

What is Tama 38 and why does it come up so often?

Tama 38 was Israel's national outline plan for seismic strengthening of older buildings, which in practice drove a wave of projects where developers reinforced and extended existing blocks in exchange for the right to add apartments. The programme has been wound down and replaced by newer urban renewal tracks, but the resulting projects — and disputes — are still very much part of the Tel Aviv market.

How are architects' fees calculated in Israel?

Most commonly as a percentage of construction cost, sometimes per square metre, with separate line items for permit work and site supervision. The Israeli Association of Architects publishes recommended scales, but fees are negotiated in practice. Make sure the quote states clearly whether permit drawings and supervision are included.

Which firms handle preservation work in the White City?

Preservation in Tel Aviv's UNESCO-listed White City is a specialism with its own permitting path and conservation constraints. Bar Orian is the practice most associated with the renewal of the historic city, and several other firms on this list have preservation experience. Ask specifically about completed conservation files, not general experience.

How long does a building permit take in Tel Aviv?

Longer than most people plan for. A straightforward permit can take several months; anything involving preservation, exceptions to the plan, or objections from neighbours can run well beyond a year. Experienced firms manage this actively, and that management is a real part of what you are paying for.

1. Kimmel Eshkolot Architects

2. Bar Orian Architects — Balfour Street

3. Pitsou Kedem Architects

4. Moshe Safdie Architects — Nahalat Binyamin

5. Chyutin Architects

6. Mochly-Eldar Architects

7. HQ Architects

8. Ilan Pivko Architects

Frequently asked questions

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