Hebrew University opens Einstein museum in abandoned planetarium after scrapping costly new build

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has announced it will open a museum dedicated to Albert Einstein in an abandoned planetarium on its campus, after abandoning plans for a new building due to budget constraints and the high fees charged by star architects. The university had originally commissioned Frank Gehry and Daniel Libeskind for a new museum, projected to cost $20 million. Instead, the institution will repurpose a disused planetarium, with renovation costs estimated at $5 million. The decision follows a similar move by Marina Abramović, who recently scrapped plans for a MAI institute in Hudson, New York, after Rem Koolhaas demanded over $30 million for a renovation. The Einstein museum will house the physicist's archive, currently held by the university, along with personal objects. The renovation, designed by architect Salma Milson Arad, involves excavating beneath the planetarium to add 500 square meters of space. A window will be cut into the eastern facade to offer views of the Old City and the Knesset, symbolizing Einstein's connection to Jerusalem. The museum will include a visitor center in the planetarium dome, archive spaces, public and research areas, administrative offices, and a souvenir shop. The project dates back to 2012, when the university and the Israeli state, then led by President Shimon Peres, first proposed a museum for Einstein's archive. The planetarium's strategic location near the newly opened Palestinian Museum was also cited as an advantage.