Villa Chalabi

Notes

Villa Chalabi is Tukan's most monumental work. The client, owner of Petra Bank, had a peculiar request: design a space with “cryptic and mysterious atmosphere”.
The exterior is paved with hard and rough stone, giving a solid, monumental, and eternal character. The interior exhibits a richness in materiality through a skillful play of materials within a carefully selected palette. Notable is the distinction highlighted between plain and precious elements as well as the rough and smooth surfaces of walls and floors, which are recurring features throughout the house. A funnel-like opening in the external wall leading to the main hall, with a square volume framing the entrance, creates a passageway masterfully invoking a strong emotional experience.
 

Sources

Ali Abu Ghanimeh and Mario Pisani, Jafar Tukan: Architecture, Melfi (Potenza): Libria, 2001, p. 40-44.

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