El Said Estate

“Beit Elsaid” one of the most magnificent palace-well houses that have survived the period of the orchard boom, which encapsulated the history of the rise of Jaffa as a prosperous port city at the beginning of the 20th century.
The building which dates back to the beginning of the 19th century served as the residence of the Al-Said family, one of the most important and influential in Jaffa of the period begetting a dynasty of local governors and leaders and elected officials of whose descendants included Asem Bak. El-Said was mayor of Jaffa from 1919 to 1938, whose name and deeds are connected with the development of Jaffa and the friendship and action relations with founders of Ahuzat Bayit and Tel Aviv.

The building is an exceptional example of the development of a Well-House, from a farm building to a mansion which has remained standing for two busy centuries withstanding changes and revolutions and until it became a neighborhood within the greater Tel Aviv.

Address: Shalma Road 48, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
Constructed: 19th century
Renewed: Now
Documented: 2018
Client: Yaron Mendelson
Photographer: Avira
Contractor: Arco Architecture, Conservation & Restoration Ltd

a well house in Nahum Gutman's painting - Turkish Soldiers

A palace with magnificent features influenced by the style of the central space houses and Ottoman architecture, the structure combines several methods, building materials and architectural elements. The building exterior and interior abound with many architectural elements that characterize the style of the palace houses during the flowering period of the orchard industry in Jaffa, wooden windows, arches, marble balconies, unique carpentry details in the tiled roof and in the ceilings of the building.
The construction stages over the years are a variety of traditional and modern construction methods and materials. Early construction phases on the ground floor consisting of a series of vaults and thick stone walls represent traditional local construction methods, while construction on the top floor uses modern building materials that came with the influence of the Industrial Revolution and the opening of the country to orderly imports. Use of “reils” technology, developed carpentry, brick construction, large openings, use of wooden tiles and ceilings, marble floors and decorated concrete tiles and more.

plan of El Said Estate — Plan of the building after changes. the 40's

A picture of the members of the municipality of Jaffa, after 1944. The mayor - Omar Al-Bitter - sits at the center

The conservation work

Conservation work includes both the exterior and interior of the building and is ongoing. Restoration of original architectural details includes elaborate carpentry details and frames, triforium of marble arches and marble paved balcony. Preservation of unique carpentry details in the tiled roof and in the ceilings of the building comprising original wooden molding and inlaid wooden panels. Preservation of masonry details including stone stairs and decorated stone portals. Exposure and conservation of wall and ceiling paintings. Building additions include a technical wing and external elevator with zinc cladding.
Several unique elements were unexpectedly discovered during the ongoing construction including buried marble floors on the ground floor, an ornate iron railing concealed in casted concrete as well as the remnants of an agricultural storage pool.

The conservation work External Stone Staircase Cross Vaults Round top window Triforium

External Stone Staircase

This architectural element is characteristic of the well houses in Jaffa of the building period. Used to access the upper floor of a residence from the street, the flight of steps was typically built on a series of supporting arches and accompanied by an intricately designed wrought iron railing.

Cross Vaults

The commercial ground floor is constructed of a series of stone cross vaults aligned in a grid supporting the residential floor above. The thick supporting walls are made of stone and characterize the local construction method used in the first building stages of the structure. Modern glass set display windows span the width and height of the arched openings.

Round top window

A top window, also called a radius window, is a separate window unit which sits above a lower window, commonly a specially-shaped window. A typical detail prevalent in local architecture of the period used to add illumination to high ceilinged spaces. During the summer season the windows were usually dismantled allowing for better ventilation and air circulation. Round windows may have their origins in the Roman oculus- a large, circular opening that regulated both light and air in a room.

Triforium

The center of the façade is highlighted by a sequence of three arched windows displaying elaborate wooden frames and marble pillars. Triforium is an architectural term, the origin of which is unknown but may well be derived from the Latin tres, tri, “three”, and foris, “door” or entrance. The Greek equivalent is τρίθυρον, which originally referred to a building with three doors. The triforium sometimes served structural functions or used to emphasize the second floor of a building by its architectural design as an important feature.

El Said Estate

Before

During

The conservation work

External Stone Staircase

Cross Vaults

Round top window

Triforium

After