Home Base Tel-Aviv | K.O.T Architects

In the past year, people worldwide have radically changed their perception of what a residence should be. For many, a vacation at a luxurious hotel seems like a distant dream, work is often done from home, and social interactions, whether with family, friends, or for romance– now take place in the same space where we wake up and go to sleep. Our relationship with our surroundings is changing, requiring mental flexibility and creative thinking.

In response to this new global reality, Tel Aviv-based design house KOT, led by Architect and Interior Designer Kfir Galatia Azulay, has recently completed an apartment intended for a young bachelor. Situated in the Florentine neighborhood, Azulay’s HOME BASE project is the perfect home-base for the new urban lifestyle.

Galatia-Azulay aspired to create a dual living experience –on the one hand, personal, intimate, protective, and ambient, on the other hand, luxurious, cosmopolitan, pampering, and state of the art. A hotel-like apartment that walks the thin line between public and private, illuminated and shaded, transparent and concealed.

In line with this vision, the architect drew inspiration from Indian-Canadian poet Rupi Kaur, who wrote: “I am not a hotel room. I am home.” Similarly, Galatia-Azulay sees the urban living experience as a constant vacation from home, a concept that is instilled in his many current projects.

The apartment is located in a modernist residential building in the iconic Florentine neighborhood, which in recent years has become a hub for intellectuals, artists, filmmakers, and members of the LGBT community. The original space was comprised of a foyer devoid of natural light, two enclosed rooms, an enclosed kitchen, a shower with no ventilation, and a balcony that served as a storage room. In other words, the structure was out of touch with its external surroundings.

The renovated apartment includes a modern open kitchen, a spacious living room with a dinette, a private bedroom, a designated bathroom, and a covered sun terrace. All the existing infrastructure was replaced and upgraded during the renovation.