Shadow play: Pitsou Kedem Architects cast an Israeli residence in a new light
This new house in Israel, by local practice Pitsou Kedem Architects, is a clever interplay of light and shadows, concrete and weathered steel surfaces, and open and closed spaces. Located in Savion, a smart residential area a short drive from central Tel Aviv, the house was designed by architects Pitsou Kedem, Irene Goldberg and Hila Sela for a single person as a space to live in and receive guests and family.
Shadow is the building's most important element, explains Kedem, a fact clearly hinted at in the residence's name: In Praise of Shadows. Sunlight - available abundantly within the local climate - was a key influence in the design process. The structure elegantly takes advantage of changing light patterns throughout the day, harnessing natural light to create a 'dynamic drama' through the house's Cor-Ten chequerboard screen on the upper-level façade. This both floods the spaces and helps shape the character of the rooms inside.
Indeed, the internal spaces are rich in textures and views; the strong concrete walls simultaneously frame and protect residents, while opening up the home to the surroundings beyond. Warm brown woods inside offset the concrete structure's rougher external feel. The internal arrangement is clear and straightforward, spanning two distinct levels.
The ground floor contains the common areas, while the first floor is home to two generous bedrooms, bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe. The generous double-height living space is overlooked by a long internal balcony upstairs, featuring the library. Courtyards shaded by the Cor-Ten screen open up towards the garden, which includes a swimming pool. The courtyards are dotted with carefully placed plants.
A design masterfully balancing contrasts, In Praise of Shadows is a residence that creates an inviting visual dialogue between inside and outside, making the most out of the site's climatic conditions.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Inside Valentino’s glamorous new Sloane Street store, inspired by the art of haute couture
The latest in Valentino’s ‘The New Maison’ store concept opens on London’s Sloane Street this week, offering an enveloping marble and carpet-clad space of ‘intimacy and uniqueness’
By Jack Moss Published
-
Aesop’s Salone del Mobile 2024 installations in Milan are multisensory experiences
Aesop has partnered with Salone del Mobile to launch a series of installations across Milan, tapping into sight, touch, taste, and scent
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Dial into the Boring Phone and more smartphone alternatives
From the deliberately dull new Boring Phone to Honor’s latest hook-up with Porsche, a host of new devices that do the phone thing slightly differently
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Into the woods: a Hampshire home by Alma-nac is the perfect retreat
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Noiascape’s refined co-living digs for generation rent in London
By Harriet Thorpe Last updated
-
Hot stuff: a Chilean house draws on its volcanic landscape
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
A Hampstead home by Groves Natcheva brings art deco into the 21st century
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
A San Francisco live/work space plays with opacity and transparency
By Sarah Amelar Last updated
-
Victorian minimalist: inside Gable House’s pared-back Scandi interior
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Studio Saxe’s twin villas in Costa Rica make for the perfect tropical retreat
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Disco fever: a dynamic duo reinvents a London townhouse
By Christopher Stocks Published