Nikanor Gates Jaffa by BMArc | Blumenfeld Moore Architects

In the Ajami neighborhood, within a Jaffa-esque alley gradually descending

into the sea and contoured by houses so that it creates an alleyway, we have

designed a four story building, 500 square meter in diameter.

The iron gate leads you in from the street into an inner alleyway that acts as

the entrance area to the building. A balcony protrudes out of the first floor

and shades the entrance area. Through the arches of the stone covered wall,

we can still peek at the street. The ground floor and first floor duplexes were

designed as one big space, with high ceilings, big doors and windows, out of

which you can exit to the balconies facing the alley. The bedrooms are

designed as a semi-hidden area inside the larger space.

The rooftop apartment is designed around the contours of the third floor. The

main hall has a mostly “glazed” finish with a view of the sea.

The detailing of the design was inspired by the local air – The balconies, the

cornices, the railings, the columns, the wooden blinds, the precast and the

intimate spaces. All of these elements give the building an authentic look of a

house that belongs in its environment. The view seen from the house

expands the experience of anyone in it, reflecting the houses looking towards

it. We were often asked if the building was actually a renovated existing

house.