At the entrance of the Old City, (Old Jaffa, Tel Aviv-Yafo), amidst impressive townhouses with traditional stone cladding, magnificent antique walls, arches and domes, architects Raz Melamed and Omer Danan have undertaken a redesign of a home for a young family who had already lived on the premises for several years. The project is an interior-only renovation so as not to disturb the traditional exterior.
Though working with the interior only, new spaces were discovered by the architects within the exiting familiar space, providing a new layout for maximum utilization of space whether for hidden storage or visible use. The interior finishes and design are a play between traditional and new, smooth and rough, plaster and stone.
The original construction of the house was entirely with Kurkar stone, an ancient traditional stone in Israel that adorned the exterior and interior walls and arches of the house. By plastering selected parts, the designers add a contrasting element that is clean and contemporary, mimicking the feeling and serenity of the sea.
At the entrance of the house is a door with a white arch and a brass handle, a material reminiscent of stone, which returns throughout the house in the lighting fixtures, library, taps and handles. Upon opening the doors, visitors are welcomed by a white resin-paved space. A material without gaps or joints, its smooth nature emphasizes continual flow within the space.
One of the first elements to be discovered is a stairwell. Completely open to the floor sequence, it results in a long vertical space emphasizing the height of the house, the materiality of the plaster and the clean lines of the architecture. The stairs and railing are painted white to emphasize that there is no separation between floors and walls, and the two planes flow into each other for perfect continuity.
White as a colour theme is also found in design elements such as blinds, carpentry, furniture, sinks, Corian countertops, and art sculptures by the homeowners. Added to this is natural wood, which creates a contrast with the stone and brings warmth to the space.
The house comprises two floors with the living, dining and kitchen areas on the first floor overlooking the sea. A large balcony off these areas is central to the house and where much of life takes place. The view from the balcony to the western wall reveals an ancient stone façade with new brick windows, and a semi-circular balcony, also white, that stands out against the ancient stone. Private space is located on the second floor.
High ceilings are preserved throughout the house with an innovative solution found by hiding technical systems behind the carpentry. It therefore appears there are no air conditioning units in the kitchen, thus maintaining the design language of a house with clean and continuous lines.
