emulating eclectic style

Housed in a historic villa in Neve Tzedek, one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Tel Aviv, Israel, “The Levee” is a luxury hotel that appears more like sophisticated apartments than hotel rooms. Originally named The Gurevitch House, the villa was built in 1913 and is now part of Tel Aviv’s UNESCO World Heritage site of 4,000 Bauhaus and Eclectic architecture-style buildings. When it came to designing the new penthouse, as well as an extension at the back of the building, instead of emulating the eclectic style of the existing building , Tel Aviv-based Bar Orian Architects choose a contemporary aesthetic in the form of a cubic volume completely clad in metal. Separated from the original building by an intermediate level that has been set back, the striated block seems to hover above the villa while the floor below enjoys the use of a balcony that wraps around the glass-fronted spaces.
Ranging from 115 to 280 square metres, all eight apartments feel spacious and bright, blessed as they are with generous ceiling heights and plenty of daylight, courtesy of large windows and floor to ceiling glazing in the penthouse. Contrary to the historic look of the villa’s restored exterior, the refurbished loft-like interiors are underpinned by an industrial aesthetic featuring untreated cement walls, board-formed concrete ceilings and exposed air ducts.
Beautiful timber floors, minimal glass partitions and exquisitely crafted built-in furniture imbue the spaces with a sense of nonchalant sophistication, which is further enhanced by an eclectic collection of modernist and contemporary pieces from iconic Italian brands.