On Jaffa Street, in the very center of Jerusalem, the historic Sha’are Zedek Hospital building still stands. For generations it was a place of healing, the first hospital to be built outside the Old City walls. Soon, its stone arches and carved gates will become part of a new chapter in the city’s story: the Midtown Jerusalem project, a landmark development set to change both skyline and spirit.
Every great city has a midtown - a place where commerce, culture, and community converge. Midtown Jerusalem takes this global idea and adapts it to the capital with a scale and vision previously unseen in Israel. Built on the principle that if a project is not better and different, it should not be done, it sets a new standard for urban living.
Between heritage and horizon
Midtown is positioned at the heart of Jaffa Street, the artery that connects Jerusalem’s entrance with the Old City. Its location bridges the capital’s two faces, historic and modern, while offering unmatched proximity to its landmarks. From here, residents will be able to walk to Mahane Yehuda Market, the Great Synagogue, the Western Wall, and the leafy streets of Rehavia. Just minutes away lie the government campus, the International Convention Center, and Sacher Park. It is truly the core of the core of Jerusalem - an address at once central and symbolic.
A design rooted in Jerusalem
The architectural vision belongs to Raphael de la Fontaine, an international architect with deep ties to the city. His design respects Jerusalem’s character while projecting a global standard. Narrow alleys, staircases, and stone cladding echo familiar neighborhoods like Nahlaot and the Old City. More than ten entrances invite the flow of people, recreating the feeling of wandering through Jerusalem’s intimate passageways. The experience of Nahlaot’s alleyways is recreated here to honor the city’s heritage while blending with the area.
The complex will comprise four towers: two residential, one combining apartments and hotel spaces, and one dedicated to offices, together offering 700 residential units. Between them, a network of pedestrian streets will open into squares lined with cafés, restaurants, and boutique shops. Conceived as a city within the city, Midtown combines modern convenience with local familiarity.
A community with a pulse
Beyond its architecture, Midtown is designed to foster a new kind of urban living. Integrated five-star hotels, a prestigious retail avenue, fine dining, and a grand synagogue will make the complex a destination in its own right. It is envisioned as more than a project: a neighborhood with an international feel, a community with a spiritual heart.
For residents, convenience will be elevated by City-All 360, a digital concierge service providing everything from babysitting and cleaning to personal training. Apartments are fully furnished, including compact two-room options, making Midtown ideal for international buyers or families seeking a second home in Jerusalem. With an on-site hotel, hosting relatives and friends will be effortless.
Preserving memory, creating future
No part of the project speaks more directly to Jerusalem’s layered identity than the old Sha’are Zedek building itself. Founded in 1902 under the direction of Dr. Moshe Wallach, the hospital was one of Israel’s most important medical institutions. It treated the wounded during the War of Independence, trained generations of nurses, and remained in use until 1980.
Rather than erase this history, Israel Canada is preserving it. The building will be transformed into the IMAGINE Hotel, a 50-room luxury property at the highest level of hospitality. Its original stone lintels, wooden doors, and distinctive gate will remain, anchoring the project in the city’s memory while opening it to new possibilities.
A landmark for the capital
The numbers are striking: 700 residential units, two hotels, 60,000 square meters of office space, 16,000 square meters of hotel areas, and nearly 200,000 square meters of built space overall. Yet Midtown is more than a sum of statistics. It is a vision of how Jerusalem can honor its heritage while embracing its future.
Completion is expected within five years. When it opens, Midtown Jerusalem will stand not only as a new address but as a new idea: that the city can join the world’s great capitals in having a midtown of its own. Jerusalem deserves no less—and with Midtown, the capital’s next chapter begins.
This article was written in cooperation with Midtown Jerusalem