New Building for the Department of Aerospace Engineering

According to the committee’s chair, Adv. Sarit Golan, “Advancing the construction plan for a new, state-of-the-art building is great news not only for the Technion, Israel’s leading academic institution but also for the city of Haifa.”

The new building, named after Nancy and Stephen Grand, one of Technion’s major benefactors, will address the needs of the Department of Aerospace Engineering. The department is the only one of its kind in Israel and has experienced continuous growth in recent years. It trains most engineers in Israel’s aerospace and aviation industries, and its graduates hold senior positions in the field. The academic department will be named after Stephen B. Klein.

Rendering: Kimmel Eshkolot Architects Ltd.

The department was established in the early days of the State of Israel at the initiative of the first president of the Technion, Yaakov Dori, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, and the Technion’s vice president Prof. Sydney Goldstein, recognizing the need for a strong aviation and space industry in the young state of Israel. Indeed, department alumni are leaders in these industries and maintain close collaboration with researchers across a wide range of fields.

In January 2024, department alumna Prof. Daniela Raveh assumed the role of Dean of the Department, leading it through advanced growth and development processes.

In recent years, the department has grown in terms of research scope, the number of faculty members, and the number of students, necessitating a modern facility suited to the needs of the 21st century. The new building will be constructed next to the historic department building, blending innovation with conservation.

The eight-story structure will cover a total area of 7,200 square meters and house advanced laboratories and research infrastructure. The project will adhere to high environmental standards and harmonize architecturally with the surrounding landscape and historic buildings. The entrance area of the new building will be integrated with the renovated teaching area of the old building.

The new building will allow the department to recruit new faculty and researchers, initiate new areas of research and teaching, expand its activities in research and development, and maintain its international status in engineering research and education. It will also significantly increase the number of students at all degree levels and improve teaching and research infrastructure.

The department opened the 2024-2025 academic year with a sharp increase in the number of new students beginning their studies at the Technion. This represents a 25% increase compared to the previous year (2023-2024) and a 40% increase compared to the 2022-2023 academic year.