
An Ottoman-era home in Jaffa has been refurbished as a spa, where Japanese elements sit alongside original Arabic details like arched ceilings and stone walls.Designer Yoko Kitahara, who emigrated to Israel from Tokyo’s Hayama seaside region over a decade ago, designed and developed the concept for the spa – which she also named after herself. She had some help from her husband Liran Benami, an architect who practises in nearby.
占地2691平方英尺(250平方米),有861平方英尺(80平方米)的阳台和屋顶空间,这个空间最初是位于雅法古城(Kikar Kidumim)的奥斯曼时代的住宅。从住宅现有的建筑中汲取灵感,同时将它们与北原的日本传统和多年的培训联系起来,水疗中心以简洁的方式融合了阿拉伯和亚洲的影响。这两位设计师将日本元素与保留下来的300年历史的细节结合在一起,而不是彻底改造空间。
Spanning 2,691 square feet (250 square metres), and with 861 square feet (80 square metres) of balconies and rooftop space, the space was originally an Ottoman-era home in Jaffa’s historic Old City (Kikar Kidumim).Taking cues from the home’s existing architecture, while relating them to Kitahara’s Japanese heritage and years of training, the spa fuses Arabic and Asian influences in a succinct way.The duo combined Japanese touches with the retained 300-year-old details, rather than drastically overhauling the space.


The renovation took a year and a half to complete, and was handled by local craftsmen. The team preserved the vaults and arches, and an arched glass vitrage – the only spot of strong colour in the space.”It was important for me to do it [the renovation] in a way that would leave the original structure and shape of the Ottoman architecture visible and present, but to give it a minimalistic feel,” Kitahara told Dezeen.
自然的灰泥覆盖了所有的表面,将墙壁和天花板混合在一起,给人一种统一的感觉,同时保留了基地的原创性。旧的窗框被定制的薄钢板取代,以最大化地中海的视野。原来房子的大部分平面图都完好无损,卧室变成了治疗室,厨房用来准备茶和点心。
Natural plaster covers all of the surfaces, blending the walls with the ceilings to give a unified look, while retaining the original drama of the site.Old window frames were replaced with custom-made thin steel, to maximise the views of the Mediterranean.Much of the floor plan of the former home was left intact, with bedrooms turned into treatment rooms, and a kitchen for preparing tea and snacks.


One area is a now traditional tatami room, for which the woven mats needed to be custom-cut to fit the room’s irregular shape.Other cabinets have arched tops and reflect the arched ceilings, and were painted white to not interfere with the quiet visual atmosphere.
这座两层楼的屋顶,以前被忽略了,现在也进行了翻新,提供了城市和附近特拉维夫的全景。
The two-storey rooftop, which was neglected previously, was also renovated and offers panoramic views of the city and nearby Tel Aviv.




