The building was designed by architects Amnon Niv and Amnon Schwartz.[4] It was named after Moshe Aviv, the owner of the construction company, who died in an accident in October 2001, before its completion.
Construction
The design for City Gate was inspired by the famous Westend Tower in Frankfurt. Construction on the tower began in 1998 and was completed in 2003 when the tower became occupied. The construction period was extremely short, achieving a growth rate of five stories per month with only a single shift of 40 workers. The rate of concrete placement per month was 3,000 m3 (3,900 cu yd) and on a typical floor there are 42 windows. Total cost of construction was US$133 million. The tower has a total of 180,000 m2 (1,900,000 sq ft) of space. The building appeared in a TV advertisement for the Mifal HaPayis national lottery before it was completed, in December 2002. When completed it was the most expensive single building in Israel.
There is now an approved plan for a similar tower of the same height, the Elite Tower, across Jabotinsky Road, on the current site of the Elite Factory.[needs update]
Use
The Moshe Aviv Tower is a multi-use structure. The top 11 floors consist of 17,000 m2 (180,000 sq ft) of residential space divided among 98 apartments. Below that, the bulk of the tower contains 63,000 m2 (680,000 sq ft) of office space. Separate lobbies and elevators serve the residential and office sections. 1,200 m2 (13,000 sq ft) of commercial space occupies the lower floors. There is a synagogue on the third floor for residents, office tenants and visitors. The rooftop of the cylinder part serves as an emergency helipad. The tower also boasts an exclusive fitness club and swimming pool situated on the tower's carpark annex roof.
On September 27, 2004, as part of the annual global City in Pink lighting campaign for breast cancer, the building was lit completely in bright pink light.
