Clay house among palm groves. Unusual architecture - not ancient and not modern, but the true architecture of the future

Passing the gallery

Reportage: Philip Sakharov

Materials: - (c) Philippe Saharoff

Transfer: Yury Kazachkov

Magazine: (42)

The technology of building houses made of clay was lost a few decades ago, but thanks to the young architect Eli Muyalu, she found a rebirth. Now in the palm groves of Marrakesh, quite a lot of clay houses appeared, but until 1982 in Morocco such buildings were rare. This tradition was interrupted despite the fact that the clay fortress walls encircling the old urban center have been preserved since the 12th century. “At the time when I began to receive the first orders for construction,” says architect Muyal, “the technology was still completely experimental: the bricks were pressed from clay and cut straw in wooden matrices and then dried in the sun. We had to make many test copies, to determine the right mix of cement and lime. But now I have my own brick factory! I purchased an old farm with a plot of about two hectares, located on the road to Fez, away from the palm trees of Marrakech. To breathe life into fragile material and to make it durable, on my part, it was a challenge to nature, but this country is rich in cultural traditions and harbors many pleasant surprises. ”And then from my first experiences unusual architecture was born - not ancient and not modern, not eastern or Western, but real, authentic architecture of the future. " In the house, there are three parts: the hallway is followed by servants' rooms and a kitchen, in the back there is a small courtyard with three bedrooms adjoining it for guests, and finally, a new wing-extension in the shape of the letter “G” with large living room. Each room has access either to the courtyard or directly to the outside of the house, and each part of the building is connected to the other paved walkway. All the furniture and decorations in the house - Moroccan production, they were purchased by the owner during his frequent trips to this country. Here, both antique pieces from the French protectorate in Morocco, such as club chairs, as well as modern items of local origin, are being seen. "For me, this farm is a secret garden, a real refuge where you can hide on weekends with your family and do something simple and enjoyable: make jam from lemons, care for rose bushes or just enjoy tranquility, sip tea with mint and listen to bubbling water running through irrigation canals! "