Big Family Show: Living a boutique hotel life – 365 days a year
Ofer Investments, sponsors of the Expo lifestyle zone, reveals its plans for land by Herzliya beach
It is the perfect spot. A piece of land opposite the beach in Herzliya Pituah, between the Dan Acadia Hotel and Herzliya Marina. A great many architects and designers fantasised about filling that spot – but needed the opportunity to design a project for this most desirable slice of virgin beach.
The privilege fell to architect Rani Ziss and designer Dana Oberson, who were chosen to plan and erect a building for veteran construction company Ofer Investments, and it would be one of
the most prestigious and intriguing projects built along our coastline.
The company then chose designer Dana Oberson, owner of the successful studio Oberson Architects in Ramat Hasharon, to design a luxury residential project of the highest standard for a specific and particularly demanding niche audience.
They are the kind of people who wish to leave the detached house in which they’ve lived for decades, where they raised their children; now, they are spreading their wings like
a young couple and moving to a place they have dreamed of for years. From here on, they would be living in superior accommodation, not only during vacations but throughout the year.
We spoke with designer Dana about the creative process that involved combining the two worlds – boutique hotel and private luxury residence – to achieve the prestigious luxury project on the Herzliya beach.
“It’s a design that will render you open-mouthed and make you feel like packing your bags as soon as possible,” is what she should say, but she gives credit to architect Rani for creating the structure.
“It’s a unique shape – not as a smooth curtain wall cube but as a complex and intriguing structure.
As a result, each apartment is a separate and prominent unit floating in space, which gives the project residents a sense of intimacy, as if they were living in a villa on the beach.”
Dana then goes on to talk about the zen atmosphere in the public spaces including the lobby, which has a rust-coloured Arabic Mashrabiya (enclosed balcony) as the centerpiece.
The sense of calm and serenity exhuded by the soft, bright atmosphere is a result of moving away from the rigid urban style and dark colours seen in other buildings throughout the country. And much thought went into the complex’s swimming pool, where Dana has created a practical public space, with room for privacy.
“The choice of colours – a combination of beige, green and the colour of shallow water creates a sense of freedom, luxury, the feeling of being aboard a yacht,” she says.
As an architect with many years of experience, Dana primarily focused on the exterior of the spaces she designed, but then realised it was
not enough and she wanted to be the one who was behind the smallest details, right up to the flower bowl on the table.
This attention to detail is also evident in the project overall – including the choice of of quality materials that blend together to create the exact atmosphere she wanted for the residents: an apartment for permanent residence that feels like a holiday flat.
When asked who she imagined was the target audience for these apartments, she said: “Israeli customers who want to feel European, as well as overseas customers who want to be a step away from the beach and enjoy the Israeli weather in a location and residential environment that feels as if it belongs to another country.”
All your dreams in one place
Dana also imagined the reactions of residents’ family and friends, who would no doubt express their admiration that they have managed to gain a foothold and decided to live here.
Take a few steps and plunge into the sea waves
“It was important for me to create a unique project at the highest level, which has many advantages for its residents: a space characterised by calm and tranquility against the outside chaos and the daily routine, a meticulous design down to the smallest details, and the huge advantage that many people dream of –
to walk a few steps and be on the beach,” Dana says with a smile.
Live just like you dreamed
In all the conversations Ofer Investments had with the design and development people of the ‘Herzliya Pituach on the Sea’ project, one message prevailed; to create a dream project – and this was achieved.
The location is unparalleled: only eight minutes’ drive from Tel Aviv’s City (even during rush hour) and within walking distance to the bustling gourmet scene of Herzliya, just along the street. Culture lovers will enjoy the proximity to the Performing Arts Centre of Herzliya, the Zappa concert complex and the galleries nearby. And, for shoppers, the mall and design and fashion shops around the compound offer huge choice.
So, if you are looking for a home in which to spend the most beautiful time of your life, and you have five million shekels to invest in yourself, you should set a date to visit ‘Herzliya Pituach on the Sea’.
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