Government House, Jerusalem

Government House, also known as the Armon HaNatziv in Hebrew ("ארמון הנציב"; Palace of the Commissioner), is a significant historical building located in Jerusalem. Constructed between 1928 and 1933, it was designed by the British architect Austen Harrison.

The building served as the residence and administrative center for the British High Commissioner during the British Mandate in Palestine. It combines elements of local architecture with classical design, similar to other works by Harrison such as the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem.

During the British Mandate, Government House was a hub of social and administrative activities, hosting many formal events. Following the end of the Mandate in 1948, the building was handed over to the Red Cross and later became the headquarters for the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).

Establishment of the British Administrative Headquarters
During World War I, German headquarters resided in the Augusta Victoria Complex on the Mount of Olives. On December 11 1917 the complex was seized by British forces and was repurposed to house The Occupied Enemy Territory Administration (OETA) under General Allenby. With the commencement of the British Mandate in 1920, the complex housed various government institutions. High Commissioner Herbert Samuel resided there for five years, until 1925. The complex proved to be inconvenient, it was full of German symbolism and its anti-regionalist architecture could not express the paternalist position of the British Mandate. From 1925 to 1927, High Commissioner Field Marshal Herbert Plumer lived in Augusta Victoria, and upon his insistence along with the availability of appropriate governmental funds, the treasury approved the construction of a new suitable residence. In 1927 a severe earthquake in Jerusalem damaged the Augusta Victoria complex making it uninhabitable, and the construction of a replacement residence became all the more urgent. Consequently, the High Commissioner temporarily moved to Mahanaim House on Street of the Prophets. During this period, plans for the new official residence and government center were initiated. After considering various sites throughout Jerusalem, a location in Jabel Mukaber, east of the Talpiot neighborhood, was selected for the new construction.

Building Design
Austen Harrison, the Chief Architect of the Mandatory Public Works Department, was chosen to design the Governor's Palace building. He prepared five alternative design plans for the building until the final plan was approved in 1928. The initial plans for the construction of the building met with strong criticism from the bureaucracy in the British Colonial Office. The criticism focused on the planned size of the building and its estimated construction cost of 53,000 Palestine pounds – a huge sum at the time. In a response letter to his supervisor in the Public Works Department, Austen St. Barbe Harrison argued that "the criticism stems from the reviewers' lack of familiarity and understanding of the prevailing conditions in Palestine."

When the British Colonial Office suggested that it would be preferable to entrust the design of the Governor's Palace to a British architect, Harrison replied, in another letter to the Colonial Office, that an architect with a deep understanding of local conditions, building materials, and construction methods would have an advantage over an architect with experience in Western European construction methods. During the design of the building, Austen St. Barbe Harrison traveled to Damascus where he gathered information, ideas, and inspiration for the interior design of the Governor's Palace, wanting to incorporate unique local oriental motifs that would blend with the Arab character of the building.

The Governor's Palace is a building that exudes formality and grandeur while making intelligent use of European architectural design elements, reminiscent of public buildings built throughout the empire in general and mandatory buildings in particular. The Rockefeller Museum, for example, was also designed by Harrison with similar principles. Modern construction technologies and modern materials such as concrete were combined with traditional technologies characteristic of the region and local traditional building materials such as Jerusalem stone. To the close observer, the building, thanks to the use of local elements, is reminiscent of the structures and character of Arab villages and reflects the character of the Old City that it overlooks.

Entrance Complex
The Governor's Palace plan covers a large, fenced area of 65 dunams (approximately 16 acres). The access road stretches from Hebron Road and leads to a magnificent building located on the western side of the complex. This is the entrance gate building, which incorporates rooms for the complex's security forces. An internal access road leads from the gate building to the main entrance, designed in a style reminiscent of Mamluk buildings similar to those found in the Old City.

Main Building
The Governor's Palace was designed as a monumental building with an asymmetrical shape. The northern part of the building is intended to serve as an operational wing of the complex with a kitchen, service yard, and rooms for the staff that maintains the building. The southern side of the building is intended to serve the official functions of the building, and it houses a ballroom considered to be the most beautiful and impressive room in the building. The ceiling of the ballroom is flat - in contrast to the domed ceilings of the dining room and lounge. A giant fireplace was installed in the ballroom, lined with ceramic tiles with traditional Armenian paintings. A gallery was designed in the room that connected the ballroom to the dining room, and was intended for orchestras that entertained guests invited to official events. Above the ballroom rises an octagonal tower, which according to the plan was intended to serve as the living quarters for the High Commissioner and his family.

The southern facade of the Governor's Palace building is the most impressive of all the building's facades. To an observer looking at the building from this front, a set of terraced building blocks is revealed, incorporating aesthetic architectural elements including domes, arched openings, and sculpted and stylish chimneys. From the octagonal tower, one can overlook the breathtaking view of Jerusalem surrounding the building.

More sources

 * Billig, Y. (2021). Late First Temple period decorated capitals from Armon Hanatziv in southern Jerusalem. Qadmoniot, 54(161), 26–30.
 * HELPHAND, K. (2013). LAWRENCE HALPRIN IN ISRAEL: The Tayelet of Jerusalem. View, (13), 14–16.