A Garden Apartment in central Tel Aviv
I met with the owners of the apartment, a couple with two children (the third child was born later) before the construction of the building began. They had many ideas, dreams and great taste. We knew this apartment was going to be a special, joyous and creative one. It should be a practical and comfortable living space suitable for a young family with energetic children.
After a long period of joint planning and execution, we managed to complete this project this year. Let's take a short journey to this special place:
Whilst walking to the apartment through a standard corridor similar to a new building in Tel Aviv, you open a door which leads you to a surprise – you are lead to a spacious living room with a breathtaking view of the intricate green garden along with blue touches of sky and water. It's as though you are in a secret garden in the middle of town. Next, you notice the ceiling – before the ceilingwas casted, we requested that the contractor leave the ceiling so that the exposed concrete would reflect authenticity.
Due to our prerequisite to move a pillar that blocked the space between the kitchen and the ceiling, we created a 7cm beam. This beam, was covered with a black wooden ceiling, has become a fundamental element and creates a fascinating contrast to the concrete ceiling.The black wooden ceiling creates a delicate distinction between the living room, dining space, and kitchen area.
There are delicate lighting fixtures made especially for us. The living room is bright and spacious. The library is stylish and delicate whilst hiding all communication cables, air conditioning and storage. The back of the library is covered in concrete as a continuation of the ceiling, wall and bench.
The apartment is covered with 35cm wide oak boards manufactured in a precisely for this project. The clean white kitchen (Bulthaup) is a wonderful correlation between the wooden floors and concrete ceiling.
The guest toilets were created using large Terrazzo boards with a floating mirror which was integrated within the sink. The sink has been ingeniously built from remnants of Terrazzo cladding. The guest toilets are elegant and create a special and unique experience for the guest.
In the hallway, the black wooden ceiling enters the depth of the apartment. Along with its hidden doors and delicate lighting, a warm and dramatic corridor is created.
The Master bedroom is not large. We designed it for functionality. The bathroom is clean and minimalistic. The floor is made of Terrazzo surfaces with walls created with close fitting cladding which makes it appear clean. The Master unit overlooks the garden. Meticulous planning of the landscape allows for maximum privacy. The garden was designed in collaboration with Mhor Avidan's office. The garden created a feeling of a private home and not a Garden apartment. The ways the trees were chosen, the planning of the vegetation, without forgetting the luxurious and diverse seating area makes it ingenious.
The children's bathroom is further down the hall, which is also made from Terrazzo floorboards.
There are two children's rooms They are designed meticulously to create this warm, light and happy feeling with designs from Sarit Shani Chai.
The boy's room is divided by a wooden platform. Skateboards were hung on the walls instead of pictures, as this is a common hobby for the family.
*This was a long, meticulous but enjoyable project. The house is breathtaking and meticulously designed. One still feels that this is the home of a loving family. The design is accessible yet still retains its personal touch. All of the above are so important in my work. I always want to leave a personal touch and an imprint of life in my designs.
Material Used :
1. Concrete - Ceiling , wall cladding , bench - Artan Betonada Israel
2. Terrazzo 300/100 c“m boards - bath floor and cladding – Cr contech Israel
3. Natural Wood oak floor - all apartment floor
4. Black wood boards - Ceiling lowering
5. White Granite 300/100 c“m boards - bath cladding
6. Ipe Tababuia + Natural stone - outdoor
