The Polonsky Academy of Advanced Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences is part of the Van Leer Institute campus at Jerusalem. The building is situated on a cliff facing south towards the Jerusalem Theater. Its northern side faces the Main Garden Court, which functions as the heart of the campus. The low horizontal appearance of the building fits in with the dimensions and design characteristics of the existing buildings with their closed stone fronts facing the city and glass fronts facing the open inner garden. The two upper stories of the building are intended for research activity and include rooms for researchers, seminars and other meeting spaces for the research population that are open onto and are lighted from internal courts. The lower research floor is the main entrance to the building and it includes an exhibition gallery facing the Main Garden court. The floor below is entered through the lower level of the Main Garden court and includes a conference room, a lecture hall and the upper level of the library and the cafeteria, which faces the main garden.