Ron Arad's long-awaited Design Museum opened on Thursday, in the Israeli town of Holon.
Ron Arad's long-awaited Design Museum opened on Thursday, in the Israeli town of Holon.
(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

Thursday marks a major milestone for Israel's still nascent design scene with the full-scale opening of Ron Arad's long-awaited Design Museum in the town of Holon, a town of 200,000 just south of Tel Aviv.

A swooping, swish of a space, the $18 million museum is London-based Arad's first public building in his homeland - an anchor for Holon's up-and-coming cultural quarter, which includes a much-lauded Comics Museum and the post-modern Mediatheque.

Built at a cost of around $18 million, Arad's split-level museum is a pair of geometric display spaces together with a "design lab" - studio space for working creatives. Outside, the building's massive curved ribs cling to the core like bright red slabs of steel baleen in a riot of fluid modernity (Arad’s favourite photograph of these currently graces the limited edition cover of W*132).

Inside, the vibe is decidedly less dramatic - the gallery pair stacked one on top of the other like barren white walls with little of the whimsy evident outside.

Still, as evidenced by its debut exhibition - The State of Things, which opens tomorrow - Arad's museum gets the job done. Curated by Barbara Bloemink - formerly of New York's Cooper-Hewitt Museum - the exhibition presents some 100 seminal design pieces, classic and contemporary, to form a compelling and cohesive aesthetic narrative for both design experts and neophytes.

The works are international in origin and wide-ranging in form - from a fold-out chair by NYC's Studio Dror to a minimal porcelain collection from Nymphenberg in Munich; a Marcel Wanders ceramic piggy bank to an abstract, web-like crystal lamp confection by Ingo Maurer.

"It all forms a statement about the bright future of design," says co-curator Aric Chen, "dramatically displayed in Arad's first major building."

The museum could not open at a better time for Arad, whose career retrospective Restless is now on at London's Barbican Museum, which itself followed the seminal No Discipline exhibition last summer at MOMA. Aiming to put both Holon - and Israel - on the design world's stage, Arad's museum is an international totem by a designer, and now architect, at the top of his game.

A swooping space, the museum is London-based Arad's first public building in his homeland.

A swooping space, the museum is London-based Arad's first public building in his homeland.

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

The new museum will act as a base for Holon's up-and-coming cultural quarter.

The new museum will act as a base for Holon’s up-and-coming cultural quarter.

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

Built at a cost of around $18 million, Arad's split-level museum features a pair of geometric display spaces

Built at a cost of around $18 million, Arad's split-level museum features a pair of geometric display spaces.

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

The museum also features a 'design lab' - studio space for working creatives.

The museum also features a 'design lab' - studio space for working creatives.

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

The building's massive curved ribs cling to the core like bright red slabs of steel baleen.

The building’s massive curved ribs cling to the core like bright red slabs of steel baleen.

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

The space has been described as a riot of fluid modernity

The space has been described as a riot of fluid modernity

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

The museum is located in Holon, a town of 200,000 just south of Tel Aviv.

The museum is located in Holon, a town of 200,000 just south of Tel Aviv.

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

The museum has opened at an opportune time, Arad's retrospective exhibition, Restless, is now on at London's Barbican Museum.

The museum has opened at an opportune time, Arad's retrospective exhibition, Restless, is now on at London's Barbican Museum.

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

Arad has set out with an aim to put both Holon - and Israel - on the design map

Arad has set out with an aim to put both Holon - and Israel - on the design map

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

Arad's museum is an international totem, by a creative at the top of his game.

Arad's museum is an international totem, by a creative at the top of his game.

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

Inside, the vibe is decidedly less dramatic.

Inside, the vibe is decidedly less dramatic.

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

The gallery features barren white walls.

The gallery features barren white walls.

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

The interior features little of the whimsy evident on the outside.

The interior features little of the whimsy evident on the outside.

(Image credit: Yael Pincus)

Design Museum Holon's inaugural exhibition.

An installation shot of 'The State of Things: Design and the 21st century' - Design Museum Holon's inaugural exhibition.

(Image credit: Elad Sarig)

The exhibition features more than 100 objects, confronting issues around the practice and consumption of contemporary international design.

The exhibition features more than 100 objects, confronting issues around the practice and consumption of contemporary international design.

(Image credit: Elad Sarig)

New York's Cooper-Hewitt Museum.

The exhibition has been curated by Barbara Bloemink - formerly of New York's Cooper-Hewitt Museum.

(Image credit: Elad Sarig)

The works on show are international in origin and wide-ranging in form.

The works on show are international in origin and wide-ranging in form.

(Image credit: Elad Sarig)

Slip tables

Slip tables by Nicolas le Moigne

(Image credit: Nicolas le Moigne)

Cabbage Chair

Cabbage Chair by Nendo

(Image credit: Nendo)

Desk clock from the 'Work' series by Dick van Hoff for Royal Tichelaar Makkum

Desk clock from the 'Work' series by Dick van Hoff for Royal Tichelaar Makkum

(Image credit: press)

Pencil case from the 'Work' series by Dick van Hoff for Royal Tichelaar Makkum

Pencil case from the ’Work’ series by Dick van Hoff for Royal Tichelaar Makkum

(Image credit: press)

Desk lamp from the 'Work' series by Dick van Hoff for Royal Tichelaar Makkum

Desk lamp from the 'Work' series by Dick van Hoff for Royal Tichelaar Makkum

(Image credit: press)

Brave light

Brave light by Freshwest for Moooi

(Image credit: press)

Randomly Crystalline vase

Randomly Crystalline vase by Front for Swarovski

(Image credit: press)

Reiss pots

Reiss pots by Polka

(Image credit: press)

The Chankley Bore by Maarten Baas for Established & Sons

The Chankley Bore by Maarten Baas for Established & Sons

(Image credit: press)

Inflatable skirt

Inflatable skirt by Yael Mer from Raw Edges

(Image credit: press)