Photographing Isreal’s Bold And Graphic Escher House With Shai Epstein

by Lexi Taciak July 31, 2020July 27, 2020 0 Project of the Week

Today we’re headed to Tel-Aviv with architectural and interiors photographer Shai Epstein! He has photographed the fun and funky Escher House for architect Adi Weinberg of Arbejazz Studio.

Shai masterfully shows off the punchy color contrast and graphic nature of this home. His compositions emphasize the rectilinear shapes and abundance of leading lines present throughout the space. Let’s check it out!

“The first thing I did when I got there was take a deep breath, wander the space of the house, feel it. I went up, down, looked in all sorts of directions and [saw that] certainly the possibilities were many” he tells.

This is the image that initially piqued my interest in The Escher House. It’s Shai’s favorite as well, and he explains “It has an interesting geometry and inside it the girl who transmits something light as a feather against the dark background.” I love the way Shai used a dead-on one-point perspective to show the juxtaposition between the visually busy library area and the ultra-mod staircase area. The white stairs pop right out of the deep, velvety blue wall, giving a 3D appearance to this scene.

In the kitchen, Shai relays the same playful illusion-esque mood that this house projects. On the left, he breaks down the area into a simple chunk of visual information that is easy for us to understand. We are able to note the textures, shapes, and colors, that make this space so interesting. On the right, Shai shoots at an angle, which allows us to see everything going on. The complexity of the stairs, the repeating shapes created by the railings, the length of the island — it all tells the story of this elaborate structure.

Shai notes: “The entrance to the house was very surprising. The house Itself is located in a low row of old low-rise houses in Tel Aviv. Since an excavation was made there for the basement floor, the feeling when entering is of a very high space. It was inspired by an airport terminal. The homeowners love to fly and travel the world and wanted their home to be a kind of reminder of what they love most.”

This perspective showcases the multi-level design of the home, and by including people in the scene, Shai shows just how vast and tall this home is.

“My biggest challenge was conveying the spirit of the house and bringing in some kind of story, which is something that is very important to me as an architectural photographer. The girl pictured is actually the couple’s daughter. When I opened my gear and was getting ready to start she just woke up and went down to the ground floor. When I saw her, I asked her to clear the whole day for us. Indeed her presence during the day gave the added value I was looking for” says Shai.

An interesting perspective including the homeowners again communicates the sheer height and intricacy of The Escher House. Looking through Shai’s photographs, it’s pretty clear how this home got its name. The scale and network of leading lines zig-zags our eyes through the frame, noting each level and unique space in the structure.

I love this detail. The contrast is punchy and lovely. The way the gentle lighting fixture and subtle gradient of light up the white wall differ from the hard lines and the fencing is very, very cool.

In his departing shot, we see The Escher House from the outside. The delicate curtain blowing, mixed with the foliage leaning into the frame helps soften this otherwise hard, geometric home. The feeling emited by specular highlights on the louvers and the shapes made by the shadows gives us a sense of what it’s like to be there. We can feel the hard sun, but also the breeze billowing the curtain. Thanks for transporting us to this scene Shai!