Browsing Tag

Interior Design

Design & Lifestyle

Shooting the Luxury Hotel; The Norman

February 22, 2015

Sivan-Askayo-Pool-LOW-Rez-8

As a Travel photographer, not once do I get to shoot hotels for Travel Magazines.

I have contributed to Travel+Leisure World’s Best Hotels books in the years of 2013, 2014. I have shot Nhow Berlin and Semiramis both by Karim Rashid. I have photographed Palacio Belmonte in Lisbon for Marie Claire UK and I had a glimpse of the elegant d’Angletter in Copenhagen.

But shooting The Norman, a luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Tel Aviv, is completely something else!

Stretched over a period of almost six months, shooting all types of rooms and suites, waiting for every little detail to be perfectly placed and working with an incredible creative team of people, made it to a beautiful result.

They say ‘God is in the Details’. It is definitely true for The Norman hotel, thanks to architect Yoav Messer and mostly to David d’Almada of SAGRADA and his interior design team.

Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 10.56.54 AM

Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 11.09.22 AM

The hotel is well situated in King Albert Square, just across the street from the Pagoda House and off Rothschild Boulevard. It is a great addition to the ‘White City’, Tel Aviv’s UNESCO heritage site, as it is comprised of two historic and iconic buildings. Both buildings were impressively restored to the glory of the 1920s but well equipped with all technologies and comfort of a top class 21st century hotel. In between the two buildings there is a fragrant citrus garden, which is a great reminder to the original orchard in old Tel Aviv.

The main building (colored light blue) comprises of 30 classic and duplex rooms while the second building (I call it the beige one) has 20 suites, each designed differently, including two penthouse suites with separate entrances.

It was a great challenge (as a photographer) to shoot the different types of rooms, taking into consideration to keep the same vibe and character of this gorgeous hotel. But at the same time, the process was very rewarding. I had to be aware of all the little details: how the window light is falling on the sheets, how the color of the flowers is matching the rug (or the curtains) and how the pillows should always be wrinkle-free. And always keeping in mind what angle of the frame will speak to the feel of ‘Timeless Elegance’ and ‘Redefining Luxury’ .

Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 11.06.43 AM

Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 11.08.00 AM

NOR_ROOMS&SUITS_HR009

My most favorite area to shoot was the Library Bar, thanks to the almost-endless-natural light coming through its wide windows. I must confess that each time I carried my camera with me, I snapped a picture of that corner of the bar, exploring the light falling on the golden patterned floor, highlighting the green covers of the bar chairs. The Library Bar is an elegant 1940s colonial style bar with an impressive collection of Whiskey and cocktails.

Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 12.20.09 PM

Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 12.20.24 PM

Sivan-Askayo-The-Library-Bar-Low-Rez-36

Another space with some gorgeous light is The Norman Restaurant, also on the first floor.

It is a brasserie style restaurant, serving French Mediterranean cuisine throughout the day. The challenge in shooting this space was in the flickering mirrors in between the two seating areas. I had to find the right angle that didn’t show my reflection or didn’t send back light to my flash. Changing the angles of the mirrors and standing on a ladder was a great solution.

If you happen to book a breakfast reservation, go for the Eggs Benedict choice. The chef managed to come up with the perfect Hollandaise sauce.

Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 11.04.14 AM

Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 5.11.07 PM

Sivan Askayo-The Norman-1-1-2

And then there is Dinings.

Originally from London, the Japanese tapas restaurant opened a branch in Tel Aviv on the third floor of The Norman. As part of the design, Dinings has a live sushi counter and partially open kitchen. My favorite part of the restaurant is the terrace and the outdoor dining area, overlooking the high rise buildings of Rothschild Boulevard.

On set I had the honor of photographing Mister Chef, aka Masaki Sugisaki, the executive chef of Dinings in London, who came to Tel Aviv to open the second branch. Masaki was super co-operative and patient with my requests. I guess patience is a virtue when it has to do with making some of the best Japanese food in the world.

Sivan-Askayo-Dinings-High-Rez-24

Sivan-Askayo-Dinings-High-Rez-31

Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 11.01.53 AM

What makes the hotel so great and remarkably beautiful is the infinity pool on the rooftop floor. At the end of every shooting day I wanted to jump right in and swim.

The view is remarkable and for a minute, you might think you have been transported somewhere else… The high rise buildings in the background and the white umbrellas are the perfect backdrop to end the day.

Sivan-Askayo-LOW-High-Rez-14

Sivan-Askayo-Pool-LOW-Rez-15

The Norman Hotel, 23-25 Nachmani street, Tel Aviv.

To see more of my photos of the hotel, click here.

Design & Lifestyle Editorials Travel

Featured in Elle Decor US, May Issue

April 16, 2014

I am very honored and excited to have my debut image of Porto featured as the travel story opener in Elle Decor US, May Issue.

Beside Travel Magazines that inspire me, Elle Decor is an inspiration for everything that has to do with design. Quite often I get myself a copy of the magazine and dive into the homes and lives of others. Therefore, I was quite excited when the Photo Editor of Elle Decor has contacted me two months ago, asking me to share some images I took of Porto.

I visited Porto last February and spent a long weekend in that old mysterious and gothic city. I was quite lucky to experience so much in such a little time and get a sense of that city, which left me, of course, with the desire and curiosity to visit it again and experience it even more. (Hopefully during the Summer Season).

If my A Long Weekend in Porto post doesn’t convince you to book a flight or a vacation in this city, maybe the fact that Porto has just been selected as the Best European City for 2014, will do the trick.

 

 

 

 

Design & Lifestyle

Merav Sade’s Apt in Design Sponge

May 21, 2012

Design, Lifestyle, Interior, Merav Sade

I am super excited to be featured in Design Sponge, one of the most inspiring blogs I follow. When I was in Israel last month, I shot the designed apartment of Merav Sade, who is not only a good friend of mine but also an extremely talented interior designer. We were both psyched when Design Sponge chose to feature the photos in their Sneak Peek column. I was lucky enough to be featured on Design Sponge previously, when they wrote about my on going photography project ‘Intimacy under the Wires’

Thank you Amy and Grace!

Here are some of my favorite images from Merav’s apartment.

Merav Sade, Design Sponge, Design, Interior

Merav Sade, Design Sponge, Design, Interior

Merav Sade, Design Sponge, Design, Interior