Bright Cave-Like Home In The Old City Of Jerusalem

This unique home is a family dwelling is created in the old city of Jerusalem, which was a tricky task

This unique home is a family dwelling is created in the old city of Jerusalem, which was a tricky task

The grounds of the Old City of Jerusalem can be tricky for contemporary architects. For one, the foundation of the Old City is made up of ruins, vaults, and rubble that can date up to a thousand years of age. Houses also sometimes span multiple street levels and are built over layers of precious archaeology.

Architect Shlomit Mamon Zaresky was tasked with restoring a single family vacation home in the Old City that takes up two different street levels and is approximately 400 years old. The original building had some striking peculiarities: the entrance to the building, for example, sinks slightly lower than the upper street level, with a set of stairs leading into an internal courtyard. From there, the back of the building rises over a story high and reveals the building’s most prominent feature: the famous Cardo, the main street between Damascus Gate and Zion Gate, which existed in the first centuries AD and which was discovered underneath the house in the 1970s. With a lowered courtyard, cross-vaulted ceilings, and sparse light, the architect’s program evokes the feeling of being in a protected, intimate cave.

To give the house a modern interior, some of the walls were peeled and exposed while others were reinforced to create a contrasting architectural language. The resultant space is airy, calm and feels like a breath of fresh air in the Old City.

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The living room is done with comfy shelving, an L-shaped sofa and some hidden storage units

The living room is done with comfy shelving, an L-shaped sofa and some hidden storage units

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The shelving unit is catchy yet simple and features both open and closed storage

The shelving unit is catchy yet simple and features both open and closed storage

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The main space is an open layout with a kitchen and dining space, too

The main space is an open layout with a kitchen and dining space, too

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The dining space is done with light-colored wooden dining set and floating shelves

The dining space is done with light-colored wooden dining set and floating shelves

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There's a large storage unit covered with sleek white doors

There's a large storage unit covered with sleek white doors

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The kitchen is small and shows off some sleek white cabinets and a small window

The kitchen is small and shows off some sleek white cabinets and a small window

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The bedroom is done in white and spruced up with a bit of color - green, mustard, burgundy

The bedroom is done in white and spruced up with a bit of color - green, mustard, burgundy

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There's much sleek hidden storage space here, too, and it's a very smart decision

There's much sleek hidden storage space here, too, and it's a very smart decision

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The bathroom is done with white marble and matching tiles plus elegant lamps

The bathroom is done with white marble and matching tiles plus elegant lamps

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The combo of white marble and catchy printed tiles is a very cool and fresh idea

The combo of white marble and catchy printed tiles is a very cool and fresh idea

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There's also an open backyard of stone enlivened with some potted greenery

There's also an open backyard of stone enlivened with some potted greenery

Source: design-milk