image sourced from original article at Jerusalem's municipal bomb shelters offer more than protection during emergencies; they open doors to the city's layered past. Beneath Safra Square, employees of the Culture Department descend into fortified spaces that double as historic vaults inside the original City Hall building.
The structure, inaugurated in 1934 during the British Mandate, was designed by architect Clifford Holliday in the International Style with Art Deco elements. Built in partnership with the British Barclays Bank, the project included heavily reinforced vaults on the ground floor, constructed for the bank in exchange for financing the building and leasing the space for decades.
Today, these underground rooms serve as both protected areas and reminders of Jerusalem's architectural and civic history, revealing hidden stories embedded within the city's iconic municipal complex.
