Page 52 - International Architecture & Design Sotheby's Summer 2016

escape
In the Ville Nouvelle, created in the 19th century by French colonists, is a European-style tidy grid of palm-lined boulevards, belle-époque buildings and smart boutiques, patisseries and cafés. Signs and menus are typically offered in both the official language of Arabic as well as French, which is widely spoken.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, the medina is home to more than 700 historical monuments and buildings, including Al-Zaytuna Mosque, Musée national du Bardo and the Tourbet el-Bey mausoleum. Fifteen kilometres north of the city is another significant World Heritage Site—the ruins of Carthage, the magnificent city-state founded in 814 BCE by the seafaring Phoenicians.
Also in the Greater Tunis area is the bohemian town of Sidi Bou Said, with its cobblestone streets and chic shops, cafés and art galleries. Perched on a steep cliff overlooking Tunis Bay and the Mediterranean, this postcard- perfect artists’ colony is distinctive for its blue and white colour palette of dazzling whitewashed buildings accented by azure roofs, staircases, doors and shutters.
The medina in Tunis is where French fashion designer Manon Martin makes her home for part of each month. She finds the quiet of her vacation retreat a source of inspiration for her line of women’s and children’s clothing, hats and bags in her signature handcrafted style. Most of the furniture and accessories in Martin’s house was crafted by her partner, furnitur•e designer Philippe Xerri, whose Rock the Kasbah store is located in Tunis.
Above: Tunis—an hour-and-a-half plane ride from Marseilles, where Martin is based—has a rich Arab architectural legacy, reflected in the dome roofs, horseshoe arches, courtyards and colourful tiling prevalent in the city’s medina.
Right: Providing a natural contrast to the stark white interiors is the ancient stone, left unpainted in the archway, and an eclectic rattan lampshade with playfully frayed edges. Pendant light and furniture, Rock the Kasbah. Hand-painted curtain, Yasmine Sfar.
52 INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN