Established: 1994
Architect: Nira Reichman
Ivcher Auditorium was the second auditorium established at Reichman University (after Alpern Auditorium), and is also an inheritance from the former army base.
The building was originally used as an antiaircraft simulator that was considered at the time to be very sophisticated. The simulator was called Melech, an acronym for 'Facility for Gunners' Practice' (as well as the Hebrew word for 'king'). It was a polystyrene, dome-shaped structure that imitated the open sky. Its goal was to simulate manual shooting practice, and not radar or system-aimed.
In 1994, Baruch Ivcher visited the campus and decided to provide the funding to recreate the building into an auditorium designed by architect Nira Reichman. Nira's design correlated with the simulator's outline. Overnight a crane lifted the polystyrene dome and set in its place the auditorium's construction.
"The dome-shaped structure is in tribute to the building – a remnant of the antiaircraft base – that was used as a facility for identifying aircrafts and for differentiating between Israeli and enemy aircraft. When the Reichman University opened its gates there was need for a large lecture hall to serve multiple purposes. The new building retained the original dome shaped structure, while the inside was completely refurbished, transforming the building into the Reichman Universitys 'number 1' conference hall. Two additional areas were appended to the original structure: a space for gatherings before entering the hall and a backstage. Construction costs were donated by a common friend – Baruch Ivcher. The greatest challenge of the building was to retain the original shape of the building and to create in it – in the circular shaped and closed structure – the central auditorium of the Reichman University Herzliya."
- Nira Reichman
