Humanity leaves immortal echoes through its history using the media of language, art, knowledge and architecture. These echoes are not simply viewed in retrospect; they are primary to our time and define our civilisation at any given moment, justifying our very sense of being human. This justification is important. Humanity exists in a near-perpetual war for existence. We are mortal, but we wish to become eternal and culture is our success in this battle. Culture allows us to assert our existence to ourselves to the extent that we are not just ‘now’ but are- in essence- forever.
In an odd but quietly very important way, works of architecture ‘speak’ to us. They leave a mark of our existence, culture and thought process for the decades and people to come.
They can isolate and endanger us, but they can also heal us. Unique among creative and artistic professions, architecture must always reflect the age and cultural context that produced it.
Despite women making up 94 percent of buying power for home goods, the woodworking, crafting, and manufacturing industry is predominantly male and at the centre of it all is Joseph Karam, interior architect and designer, who has been defining the value that architecture holds for over four decades now transforms the heritage house into an international luxury brand. Lebanon born but settled in Paris, with works drawing a neat parallel and a mish-mash of Arabic and western architecture, is clearly on the top of his game.
Pencil running on a sheaf of paper, Karam talks about the changing trends in architecture and his recent project, which is his own place in La Riviera in the south of France, a vacation house spanning to 300 metre-square with five bedrooms and a studio.
Talking about the close connection between architecture and interior design, Karam says, “I offer two services in my studio/agency: architecture and interior architecture. To succeed in a project, you need these two in combination. The co-ordination and parallel work of these two bring about certain aesthetics and well-done results,” he adds, “In architecture, my goal is to always be able to integrate the environment in the project while evolving with time, which makes the role more difficult. You have to know how to get established in a typical region of Provençal Style without falling into the pothole of repetition thus enforcing your mission as a designer.”
The architecture of the house is modern with walls traditionally painted a lime hue, the tiles are old, and part of the facade is dressed in stone-cut imported from Lebanon. The house was built in untouched fields about two minutes away from the beach.
How architect quite understands the concept of his/her clientele, Karam stresses, “Architecture must always start inside, where we live, we sleep, we receive, we respond ...... the search for comfort is a priority in this profession. An architect must first study the character of his client, his job, his needs, his hobbies, his taste, his style, his priorities, his programme, his family life etc... He must be a psychologist and sociologist. At the same time, he must be a creative person to be able to draw on paper a drawing that will be an artistic work that ensures the satisfaction and comfort of his client which makes this profession very delicate and serious. In the case of this house, the customer was me.”
Designing for ownself can be an easier task, according to Karam. “Since I was my own client, it was much simpler. I knew my programme and my needs which consisted of making the stay of my guests and grandchildren very pleasant. I also knew that the details and good finishing were my priority.”
When he first saw the property before the construction work, Karam instantly thought the land’s orientation suited him. However, construction of the untouched land can be a little dicey. “I immediately imagined the location of the pool in relation to the course of the sun. No inconvenience could arise from the fact that the design of the outside and inside never separate,” he adds, “Building on an untouched land is always sensitive especially when it is green with old and important trees. I was able, through my study, to circumvent them and sometimes move them.”
Light inside and naturally coming from the outside is the most important element of interior design. It expands on the expansivity of the property and aesthetics. “I forced myself to find tips avoiding spots. The light is often camouflaged, invisible, and pleasant. Projectors were installed outside to highlight the few old trees and especially the ridges of the monoliths that served as the essential structure of the property. As for the curtains, they are almost non-existent to leave a wider angle of view to the outside, except for places where occultation is sometimes necessary,” he says.
What’s a wall devoid of art. Karam commissioned a giant painting made to measure by an artist Ray. A collection of drawings of Roman Greco Capitals are also placed on the wall, that makes the interior minimalistic yet artsy enough. In terms of furniture traditional yet contemporary style was incorporated.
In the dining room a raw wooden table under a ceiling designed by artisans and imported from Lebanon, a chandelier that is Karam’s creation, and chairs in Philippe Stark plexiglass. The doors all flat oak wood and the kitchen doors cladded with copper sheets similar to old kettles under a tray. What inspired Karam, he says, “In Côte d'Azur, we live with its light, its sea, its greenery, its flowers, its colours. This becomes a subconscious inspiration.”
