Architect Oshir Asaban, specializes in planning and designing of private homes, apartments, hotels, businesses and exhibition spaces. His work is characterized by uncompromising quality, from the interior layout through detailed work plans to unique, minimal architectural details and a rich material palette. Oshir believes in a complete and customized designs which arises from a close familiarity with the client and a deep understanding of his needs.
Project 125 Sq./m apartment with a balcony of 20 Sq./m
Location White City Towers at the edge of Neve Tzedek, near Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Clients foreign resident
Planning by architect Oshir Asaban
Photographer: Gidon Levin
The apartment is located on the 22nd floor of the White City Tower project between Shalom Tower and Hassan Beck Mosque. An area with pleasant access to the Tel Aviv beach on a street that will become a shaded avenue with wide sidewalks and bicycle paths. The client, originally from England, asked for an apartment with a proximity to the Tel Aviv beach. A house with a sophisticated atmosphere, bold combinations and plenty of room to host.
In the interior planning stage, emphasis was placed on a division in which the sea is present in all spaces of the house. Both public and private. “The challenge was to place all spaces of the house frontally to the sea, beginning with the master bedroom and guest room, through the positioning of the furniture in the living room and even while cooking in the kitchen”, says Oshir Asaban. The sea is noticeable from the moment you enter the house along the transparent glass façade toward the focal point that is the beach. Further along, the living room, kitchen and the dining area were designed as an open space in order to enhance the sense of openness. The central public space is defined by four interior facades, each characterized by a different materiality.
To the right of the entrance stands the Bulthaup kitchen facade made of anodized aluminum in a unique greenish gray color. The kitchen is located parallel to the glass openings through which the sea and the urban landscape are reflected. “The entire experience of cooking and hosting is something that was planned to take place opposite the sea”, says Oshir. The kitchen façade is influenced by the reflected natural light and changes its colors as the sun moves throughout the day.
The dining room is also facing the view and through it there is an exit to the balcony “I designed a table made of emerald green stone from Brazil, which suited the edgy feel of the house. The square table with the juxtaposition seats is echoing the space that encloses it”. The lighting fixtures of LEE BROOM, an American designer, elegantly decorate the exposed concrete wall behind the dining table. The unique colorful art of Aviv Greenberg adds to the updated grungy atmosphere. The specially designed terrace beds are placed opposite each other to create a dialogue and an intimate hospitality experience.
The entrance to the master bedroom is throw a hidden concrete door from the dining area. The first sight when you enter the master is of a free-standing bath located in front of the sea. “The client’s demand was for a very pampering bathroom, so it was decided to split the bathroom into a free-standing bathtub in front of the view and the sea as part of the main bedroom and shower, steam room and sauna inside the interior bath space”. To cover the walls of the master bathroom, a pure white Statuario marble was chosen, with gray veining from floor to ceiling. The processing of the stone, the details and the installation using the BOOK MATCH method create a monolithic bathroom space. The stone bench in the shower stall, the integral sink surface and the shower handle are all from the same marble which gives a luxurious hammam feel.
The concrete wall is parallel to a natural, exposed iron façade. The iron front borders the living room with a library and a television screen. “The concept was to set the open public space façades one in front of the other and create a relationship between them. to combine materials with natural roughness, but to process and refine their final look. along with details like the thin iron shelves in the library and the hidden doors, the resulting vibe is a funky and sophisticated feel. The massive treatment of the public space walls from end to end and from top to bottom, create a mass and a continuity, contributing to the sense of the size and intensity of its space”, says Oshir, “I think this house is about the concept of experience. To maximize the living experience and give a new meaning to everyday activities, whether it is the kitchen cooking experience that is equipped to meet all the demands of the host and the need of their guests, or the experience of the sea view and the life facing the waves. Even the seemingly small and technical details add to the experience. If it’s the huge screens, some of which are hidden in the ceiling space in the master bedroom or in the indulging bathrooms”.
The entrance to the living room is through a hidden door in the iron library wall. Through a delicate lintel we enter the space overlooking the sea, with a deep and luxurious bed, designed specifically to measure. “The sofas and textile accessories are very pleasant and soft”, says Oshir. “It adds a lot to the experience of the home, through the touch of textiles and its colorfulness”. The dark and dramatic ensuite bathroom is covered with Medzenoeta and basalt stone. In front of the windows there are electric blinds from a black net that rise like screens and gradually reveal the sea and the Tel Aviv sun. The furniture in the house is a combination of leading brands such as BAXTER, ClassiCon, B & B Italia and Arik Ben Simhon.
