THE HIDDEN HOUSE BY DAN AND HILA ISRAELEVITZ ARCHITECTS

An architect duo turns a small plot of land into a dream home in Tel Aviv

At the first glance, you might think the Hidden House in Tel Aviv is simply another piece of eye candy, just another perfect combination of luxury and taste from Israeli architects Dan and Hila Israelevitz. And, to some extent, you are right. Let’s be honest, this house is perfect and, for us plebeians, as far removed from reality as a unicorn or a white whale. But at second glance, there’s actually more to it.

If the Hidden House will remain a dream for most of us, its architectural conception and details can be easily applied to other projects that are more within reach. Because in the end, what makes this project so perfect are simple ideas that have been (very) well executed. This small and limited cubic form contains the quintessence of modern architecture, opposing natures and concepts finding perfect equilibrium together.

The facade is made of concrete beams and wood trellis, and the cubic first floor seems to hover above the lower level. This black, geometric exterior is deceptively opaque, and the interior is surprisingly open and well lit. Strip windows along the structure create abundant openings for natural light, something which is accentuated by the interior’s lack of visible partitions. Glass walls create invisible separations on the ground floor, which opens out to a strategically placed swimming pool that runs along the edge of the narrow plot.

The three-story home was designed to encourage connection and social interaction. A void reaches through the center of the home to create many opportunities for contact as well as creating an additional connection with the exterior.

The Hidden House is both closed and opened to natural light while contradictions between colors and volumes, shapes and materials fill the cubic shape perfectly. All these architecture classics meet here in a wonderful creation that brings us back to the basics. Who is to say this dream cannot become our reality?