The Albright Reclaims the Director’s House for a New Event Space
Blog
OCTOBER 7th, 2016
It is our great pride to announce that work has commenced at the Albright on several projects that will benefit our program and mission for years to come. Thanks to the generous gift of Trustee Bjorn Lindgren and his wife Beverly, we will be adding 3,600 square feet of space with the reacquisition of the Director’s House, as well as making improvements to the quality of life in the residence facility. These projects mark the first phase of a year-long campaign to make major headway on upgrading the Albright’s facilities.
For 30 years, the southern building of the Albright facility has been rented out for supplementary income. Known as the “Director’s House” (DH), it had been home to the institute’s directors since opening in 1930. Recovering this building is the beginning of some major improvements to the Albright’s offerings for fellows and the greater community of scholars that we serve. The building is in excellent condition and is essentially ready for use, with a few infrastructure fixes. It is a beautiful, romantic building, with a grand stone entrance, art deco tiled balconies, arched doorways, high ceilings, and a working fireplace. The spacious lower level will be converted to our new Event Space, including lecture and conference facilities, as well as a reception area, and , increasing our entertaining and programing capacity threefold. Apartments will comprise the upper floor.
The Albright Institute now needs the help of our loyal Alumni and long-time friends to fund the remainder of the project. The first phase as detailed above is already totally funded by the Lindgrens. Their generosity has jump-started this entire campaign and put all the dreaming and planning into action. All the new upgraded space means we need furniture and other functional items to fill it and get it ready for our programming. The “Director’s House Challenge” will hopefully get us there!
We and the Lindgrens invite all those who support our mission to give, with the goal of matching their major gift. A range of small gifts at your level of ability will help us reach this amount. Can you give $30? We need your gift! The Albright, under one name or another, has been in Jerusalem for 116 years, through three different regimes. It is striking to think how many people have passed through the gates. It is the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were viewed for the first time, where monks are buried in the yard; and the Third Wall of Jerusalem runs under the lawn.
The Albright is unique in Jerusalem. The property and building were dedicated for an American archaeology institute, and is one of the only buildings in Jerusalem of a similar age that has had the same purpose and function from inception to the present. We feel a tremendous responsibility towards preserving our longevity and to caring for the facility and property. These projects help to ensure that we bring the Albright into its future. By making them a priority, we ensure many more years of excellence in carrying out our mission to engage in and facilitate research on the history and cultures of the Near East, to document and preserve evidence from the ancient world as a cultural resource, and to educate the public about the history and cultures of the region.
We and the Lindgrens invite all those who support our mission to give, with the goal of matching their major gift. A range of small gifts at your level of ability will help us reach this amount. Can you give $30? We need your gift! The Albright, under one name or another, has been in Jerusalem for 116 years, through three different regimes. It is striking to think how many people have passed through the gates. It is the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were viewed for the first time, where monks are buried in the yard; and the Third Wall of Jerusalem runs under the lawn.
