While trends may come and go, architecture is forever. This is the adage on which world-renowned architect Ilan Pivko, founder of Ilan Pivko Architects built his career, and it is the guiding principle behind his newest project Port Tel Aviv.
“A lasting design has to be meaningful – longevity is found in creating something classic, rather than following trends," he recently told The Jerusalem Post. "It’s essential to create an empowering environment, a home that can transform your life. The hallmark of lasting architectural design should focus on being everlasting and universal."
(photo credit: Courtesy)These words ring especially true today, as the coronavirus pandemic has brought about new trends and fundamental changes across the world, highlighting the importance and sanctity of creating an inspiring and functional environment.
Port Tel Aviv, a new development by leading developers the Hagag brothers, is a 10-story residential tower and boutique hotel located only 50m from the Mediterranean shoreline at the entrance to the Tel Aviv port.
The top seven floors of the development consist of one to four bedroom apartments on the third to seventh floors, two mini penthouses with private pools on the eighth floor and two coveted five bedroom duplex penthouses with private leisure decks on the ninth floor and an outside spiral staircase leading up to the top tenth level which has a large rooftop leisure deck and private swimming pool.
All the apartments face the sea and benefit from bright, open interiors, high ceilings and floor to ceiling glazing and are adorned with the finest materials such as glass, steel, marble, and oak.
(photo credit: Courtesy)Alongside the luxury apartments, the first two floors of the development include an exclusive boutique hotel with 44 rooms, a luxury spa and wellness center, pool and fitness room, spacious lounge areas, a restaurant and cocktail bar and VIP private dining rooms all at the disposal of residents.
Additionally, services on offer for residents include 24-hour room service, personalized fitness programs, express laundry and baggage unpacking, flower arrangements, private yacht tours, private culinary experiences and chef-made dinners, and helicopter rides for business and pleasure.
“This development provides a unique opportunity to live so close to the sea-front and my design capitalizes on this,” he said. “I was able to capture and utilize a view that no one else can copy.”
Pivko said that his design drew from many inspirations including the “beautiful, strong Mediterranean sun we get in Tel Aviv.”
As such, one of the highlights of the new building are movable brise-soleil panels with cleverly designed openings, so shade and light can be adjusted and played with to suit a resident or a guest’s needs.
Additionally, Pivko said that Port Tel Aviv is his tribute to the city's rich Bauhaus history.
Tel Aviv is often named “The White City”, after its magnificent 4,000 buildings of Bauhaus design originally built in the 1930s and is a World Cultural Heritage site, with the highest number of any Bauhaus buildings in the world.
“Bauhaus architecture celebrates strong silhouettes and harmony of form, changing our perspectives. Bauhaus also has a real interest in functionality, which is where I focused with the moveable brise-soleil panels in my design,” he said.
He added: “The essence of my design lies in this Bauhaus style, but with a Cubism influence, this building plays with light and shade. ‘The White City’ is reimagined in my design, it’s fluid and changeable, very universal.”
While Tel Aviv may be the Bauhaus capital of the world, the design also pays homage to Israel’s status as the tech capital of the world as all apartments are also to be fitted with state-of-the-art smart technology.
Looking to the future, Pivko hopes to branch out and put his mark on the famous New York skyline, though he added that Tel Aviv will "always be my favorite place to call home."
With construction in progress, the first residents are set to move in within three years.
Lee Ziv, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of Port Tel Aviv told The Post, “Port Tel Aviv will become Tel Aviv’s icon, not only for its idyllic location, but for its stunning and innovative design. The project is located within Tel Aviv’s renowned port, just 50 meters from the shoreline. Port Tel Aviv is a world-class building where a five-star hotel and luxury apartments are intertwined with the vibrant lifestyle of the most attractive city in the Middle East.”