T R AV E L
Crowning
GLORY A contrasting addition transformed a heritage villa in Tel Aviv into ultra-chic contemporary accommodation. Photography SIVAN A SK AYO Words C ARLI PHILIPS
This page One of The Levee’s eight sophisticated apartments.
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T R AV E L
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These pages, clockwise from top right Green leather mid-century
These pages, clockwise from top right Green leather mid-century
P H OTO G R A P H Y A M I T G E RO N ( TOP L E F T, B OT TOM R IG H T )
chairs by Paul Evans add a splash of colour to the dining room. The Memphis-inspired ceramic bowl is by Kelly Wearstler. White linen outdoor chairs overlook the newly designed pool area which includes a swim-up bar, fire pit and outdoor kitchen, with a scenic backdrop provided by the San Jacinto Mountains. Vintage upholstered chairs from Vladimir
city of contrasts, the Tel Aviv streetscape is a complex tapestry of architecture and design in flux with peeling structures, Bauhaus gems and scaffolded building sites in the throes of restoration. Some, like this UNESCO-protected 1913 villa in the city’s charming old neighbourhood of Neveh Tzedek, have been undergoing renovations for nearly a decade. Specialist architects Bar Orian opted not to enmesh the old with the new, instead highlighting the renovation with an overtly modern juxtaposition layered on top of the period building. Indeed, crane your neck, and up top rests a surprising, detached floor and glass-wrapped recessed addition with a steel-encased rooftop penthouse. Structurally, the rear was ballooned to make way for spacious suites and outdoor balconies with Paola Lenti furniture. Originally a two-storey home, The Levee’s classic whiteshuttered facade has taken 10 years to restore, with Bar Orian adhering to the city’s strict preservation guidelines to uphold its original neo-classical ‘eclectic-style’ exterior. But now, doors off its central tiled hallways boast eight individual apartments expertly conceived by interior architect Yael Siso. An entirely new hospitality concept, The Levee operates as
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an ‘apart-hotel’ offering all the pragmatism of home but with the luxury facilities of a hotel. There may not be a staffed front desk, but a roaming concierge is on demand 24-7 and your room will be primped and primed daily. It’s the city’s hottest new arrival and under-the-radar retreat for everyone from high-profile dignitaries to top models, international pop stars and discreet businesspeople. Each apartment has an entirely different look and feel, ranging from light and breezy summer-styles to ‘urban beat’ interiors decked out in daring furniture while a sophisticated five-bedroom penthouse duplex with a monochromatic palette boasts panoramic views stretching across the Mediterranean. And in a city where buildings are peeling with age, the irony of stripped walls and untreated ceilings isn’t lost. Close-up, small chunks of seashells are buried throughout exposed concrete slabs. Personally, I’m happily ensconced in a Bonaldo bed with plump pillows in a den of industrial luxury swathed in lashings of marble, velvet and warm wood. And with Molteni dining tables, state-of-the art Dada kitchens and dinnerware from KAHLA, it would be remiss not to invite friends over. So it seems only fair that the hotel has given its blessing for guest parties (all they request is a heads up). Rare for the city that never sleeps, the fit-out is largely Italian. Belgian-born Yael says her European heritage played into the aesthetic choices with pieces from the likes of Moooi, Minotti, Cassina and Moroso. “When I go to Belgium I see things that I often can’t see here so we sourced everything online. I love hotels and I plan my travel based on the ones I want to visit. For me, designing The Levee really was a dream. “It has the space of a house, but the luxury of a hotel,” says Yael of the loft-like expanses. “In a home you think a lot about practicalities, whereas at a hotel you can think a bit outside the box. Here we were a bit more free,” she says. leveetlv.com
chairs by Paul Evans add a splash of colour to the dining room. The Memphis-inspired ceramic bowl is by Kelly Wearstler. White linen outdoor chairs overlook the newly designed pool area which includes a swim-up bar, fire pit and outdoor kitchen, with a scenic backdrop provided by the
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