Retro cool bar (review)

Jerusalem Post, Billboard; December 9, 2005

If That 70s Show was looking to film a lounge scene in Israel, Saluna Lounge Bar would be a good pick. While Saluna is only a year and a half old, on entering the place one would think that it had been a Jaffa establishment for decades. This long corridor is lined with mini living rooms made up of sofas upholstered in funky retro patterns, with each lounge area separated by brown beaded curtains. Glass cabinets house a strange variety of objects - from books to figurines.

The 'chandaloofah' prominently shining over loungers embodies the bar's distinctive combination of style. A chandelier is a fixture of the upper class, while a loofah sponge is a poor man's luxury.

Saluna's interior designers, Roth-Tevet Space Design, recently received the 2005 Ot HaItzuv award for their work on Saluna. Dubbed the 'Oscars for design,' these awards were given to a group of accomplished interior and industrial designers on Thursday at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds, where a massive exhibition, 'Design 2006' is being held through Saturday.

It's only upon carefully looking that one sees Saluna's design was delicately calibrated. While the sofas look old and battered, they are actually custom-made reproductions of 60s and 70s furniture, with each fabric hand-picked. Seeking to infuse the place with the local language of Jaffa, some furniture items, like the funky lamps, were bought at the Jaffa flea market. The Oriental patterned, multi-colored floor is the only original part of the building.

'Design isn't about furniture, colors, or certain materials. That's boring,' said Roth, who likes calling himself an 'experience designer.' 'We're interested in a story. I think contemporary design should tell a story, because stories never bore you.'

The owners of Saluna wanted to create a warm, inviting Jaffa-inspired lounge-bar that was also a cultural platform. The walls above the mini living rooms are covered with paintings, illustrations or photographs that alternate every month.

'You get to experience art in a less formal way than in a gallery,' explained Roy Roth, who designed Saluna with his partner, Ya'al Tevet. 'You come to drink and, by the way, you look at art.'

Last August, Saluna inspired a street-wide exhibition that transplanted art from galleries, studios and museums to the streets of Jaffa without permission from municipal authorities.

Saluna attracts a casual, arty, trendy crowd. Perhaps because of its design, the bar attracts an uncommonly high percentage of female patrons.

Roth attributes the female inflow to the softness of the place; it's not sleazy or masculine. 'Most bars are masculine. They are designed by men and owned by men,' he said.

With all its mini living rooms, Saluna is also a favorite for birthdays.

Rehov Tirza 17, Jaffa, (03) 518-1719; Music: Freestyle DJ nightly. Hours: From 9 p.m.