The owners of this 70 square meter apartment wanted to treat themselves to a modern living space as a refuge in the historic Neve Tzedek district of Tel Aviv. They hired architect Raz Melamed for the project, who opted for floor-to-ceiling glass doors in the interior. Melamed already had experience renovating and modernizing historic buildings in the neighboring ancient city of Jaffa, but the project in Neve Tzedek presented a whole new set of challenges. However, the architect succeeded within a few months of hard work alongside creative engineer Buki Snir and the Contractor Elad Cohen to uncover the property's hidden potential and give it new life.
Use floor-to-ceiling glass doors in an open floor plan
Closed and dilapidated for years, the property was a patchwork of shacks assembled into a dark and disjointed maze with a hidden patio. A sloping wall cut off the entire room. Melamed created three alternative plans for the interior. The first project attempted to create the illusion of an open rectangular space while concealing the sloping wall.
The second one edited thesloping wall in the floor planand the third relied heavily on it. The architects opted for the first plan, muting the horizontal and vertical axes (Cardo and Decumanus), and dividing the interior into four rectangular areas. This consisted of a sleeping area, living room, kitchen and terrace. Melamed combined floor-to-ceiling glass doors with the inner courtyard on two fronts. Belgian-style revolving doors between the bedroom and kitchen areas allowed the property to be centered around the well-lit backyard while shielding it from outside views for added privacy.
Create minimalist room configuration
Melamed chose wooden shutters typical of the neighborhood and left the interior open, allowing air flow and clear visibility between all rooms in the interior. To further maintain the open space in the interior, the bathroom was hidden behind a door in the kitchen. With this, Melamed managed to create a feeling of an urban, secluded villa built around a private courtyard, in a small one-bedroom apartment. Before he could put his big plans into action, Melamed had to overcome a few more challenges.
After years of neglect, the asset first needed a thorough cleaning. Then the infrastructure was replaced, as well as the rotted beams that supported the roof. The building, located on the street, has suffered from repeated flooding in the past. The affected walls were repaired and the entire property was sealed to prevent repeat water damage. This was done without changing the exterior facades or building height, as required by conservation authorities.
In keeping with the DNA of the neighborhood, two steel rails were chosen to support and reinforce the exterior wall in the courtyard. For the interior and to create a clean but cozy modern space, Melamed chose floor-to-ceiling glass doors, a gray color palette, as well as natural materials and exposed raw materials. Polished concrete floors were laid both inside and in the courtyard.
Practical interior design
Gray tiles were chosen for the bathroom, and the woodwork in the kitchen and bedroom were also painted gray. The kitchen island was stained black to create a focal point in the room and to coordinate the black granite countertop chosen above it. The Belgian-style ironwork found in the revolving partitionsPatio doors and windows installedwere given a coating of carbon black.
Wooden furniture and green spaces on the terrace completed the picture and ultimately gave the owners a harmonious getaway in the heart of the city. The Belgian-style ironwork installed in the pivot screens, patio doors and windows was given a charcoal black finish. Wooden furniture and green spaces on the terrace completed the picture and ultimately gave the owners a harmonious getaway in the heart of the city.
The Belgian-style ironwork installed in the pivot screens, patio doors and windows was given a charcoal black finish. Wooden furniture and green spaces on the terrace completed the picture and ultimately gave the owners a harmonious refuge in the heart of the city.
