Beit Aghion, Official residence in Rehavia, Jerusalem, Israel.
Beit Aghion is a government building at 9 Smolenskin Street in the Rehavia neighborhood, where the Prime Minister of Israel lives and works. The property includes several adjoining blocks with a central stairway and rows of windows facing Balfour Street.
Richard Kauffmann, a German architect, designed the house for Edward Aghion between 1936 and 1938. During the 1948 war it was used as a medical station before being converted into the Foreign Minister's residence in 1952.
The name recalls Edward Aghion, a merchant from Greece who originally commissioned the property for his family. Today the house receives foreign delegations and is used for state occasions.
A perimeter wall and restricted zones limit traffic along Balfour Street, so visitors can view the surroundings only from the outside. Security checks are constant, and the street is often difficult for pedestrians to access on many days.
The elevator inside dates back to the construction period of the 1930s and is still in use today. The exterior facade has remained largely in the original style, even though the building has been modified several times.
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