Dizengoff Square
Zina Dizengoff Square, commonly known as Dizengoff Square (Hebrew: כִּכַּר דִּיזֵנְגוֹף), is a prominent public square located in the heart of Tel Aviv, Israel, at the intersection of Dizengoff Street with King George, Daniel Frish, and Pinsker streets.[1] Named after Zina Dizengoff, the wife of Meir Dizengoff, Tel Aviv's first mayor, the square was constructed in 1934 and officially inaugurated in 1938 as a symbol of the city's early modernist urban development.[2][3] It functions as a vibrant hub for pedestrian activity, surrounded by shops, cafes, and cultural venues including the historic Esther Cinema, fostering social gatherings and reflecting Tel Aviv's dynamic street life.[1][4] The square's design has evolved through multiple interventions driven by urban planning needs and public debate. Initially a flat, open plaza, it was redesigned in 1977 into a split-level rotary to manage increasing vehicular traffic, which elevated the pedestrian area and isolated it from street flow, drawing criticism for diminishing accessibility and vitality.[5] In 2016, the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality initiated a NIS 60 million reconstruction project to revert the square to its original street-level configuration, restoring pedestrian primacy and reinstalling the iconic Fire and Water Fountain—a kinetic sculpture by artist Yaakov Agam—despite controversy over disrupting the established layout and temporary closures.[6][5] The project concluded in 2018, enhancing bike paths and public space while reintegrating the square into the urban fabric.[6] Dizengoff Square embodies Tel Aviv's modernist heritage, contributing to the UNESCO-listed White City architectural ensemble, and remains a focal point for commerce, events, and daily life, though the surrounding Dizengoff Street area has witnessed security incidents, including a 1994 suicide bombing on a passing bus that killed 22 people.[4][7]