Hermit House
Encyclopedia
Hermit House is a spectacular though unconventional example of vernacular architecture
in a similar vein to the Watts Towers
. The earthen residence is situated on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean near the Sidna Ali Mosque
in Herzliya
, Israel
. Its owner, designer, and creator, Nissim Cachlon, has been building the structure solely by hand since the late 1970s, tunneling deep into the cliff side and using natural sea materials. The structure includes dozens of chambers covered in highly elaborate tile mosaics made of recycled materials such as blue glass from broken Maccabee beer bottles, plates, and other debris washed ashore. Local city authorities have so far been unable to oust the code non-compliant resident. Rising sea levels, caused in part by the city's construction of a jetty, now pose a threat to Cachlon's work of several decades. Hermit House's exterior is publicly visible and requests for interior tours are occasionally honored by its owner.
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
in a similar vein to the Watts Towers
Watts Towers
The Watts Towers or Towers of Simon Rodia in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California, is a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet . The Towers were built by Italian immigrant construction worker Sabato Rodia in his spare time over a period of...
. The earthen residence is situated on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean near the Sidna Ali Mosque
Sidna Ali Mosque
The Sidna Ali Mosque is a Muslim place of worship located in the depopulated village of Al-Haram on the beach in the northern part of Herzliya in Israel.-History:...
in Herzliya
Herzliya
Herzliya is a city in the central coast of Israel, at the western part of the Tel Aviv District. It has a population of 87,000 residents. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya covers an area of 26 km²...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Its owner, designer, and creator, Nissim Cachlon, has been building the structure solely by hand since the late 1970s, tunneling deep into the cliff side and using natural sea materials. The structure includes dozens of chambers covered in highly elaborate tile mosaics made of recycled materials such as blue glass from broken Maccabee beer bottles, plates, and other debris washed ashore. Local city authorities have so far been unable to oust the code non-compliant resident. Rising sea levels, caused in part by the city's construction of a jetty, now pose a threat to Cachlon's work of several decades. Hermit House's exterior is publicly visible and requests for interior tours are occasionally honored by its owner.
See also
- Watts TowersWatts TowersThe Watts Towers or Towers of Simon Rodia in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California, is a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet . The Towers were built by Italian immigrant construction worker Sabato Rodia in his spare time over a period of...
, intricate Gaudiesque towers decorated with found objects - Forestiere Underground GardensForestiere Underground GardensForestiere Underground Gardens Located at 5021 West Shaw Avenue in Fresno, California are an unusual manmade creation built by Baldasare Forestiere, an immigrant from Sicily, over a period of 40 years from 1906 to until his death in 1946. The gardens, while subterranean, have many skylights and...
, earthen residence and gardens constructed by one man over thirty years. - CasapuebloCasapuebloCasapueblo is the house of noted Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró located in Punta Ballena near Punta del Este, Uruguay. It is a homage to the artist's son Carlitos Paez, one of the sixteen survivors of the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571...
, the house of noted Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró - Ferdinand ChevalFerdinand ChevalFerdinand Cheval was a French postman who spent thirty-three years of his life building Le Palais Idéal in Hauterives...
, a French postman who constructed an "ideal palace" out of rocks in his spare time. - Rubelia, a castle constructed of found objects located in Glendora, CaliforniaGlendora, CaliforniaGlendora is a municipality in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2010 census, the population of Glendora was 50,073....
- Mystery CastleMystery CastleMystery Castle is located in the city of Phoenix, Arizona, in the foothills of South Mountain Park. It was built in the 1930s by Boyce Luther Gulley for his daughter Mary Lou Gulley. After learning he had tuberculosis, Gulley moved from Seattle, Washington, to the Phoenix area and began building...
, a house in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, ArizonaPhoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
built in the 1930s in a similar style. - Nitt Witt RidgeNitt Witt RidgeNitt Witt Ridge is a house on two-and-a-half-acres in Cambria, California, located at 881 Hillcrest Dr, Cambria Pines. Artist/recluse Arthur "Art" Harold Beal Nitt Witt Ridge is a house on two-and-a-half-acres in Cambria, California, located at 881 Hillcrest Dr, Cambria Pines. Artist/recluse...
, a house in Cambria, CaliforniaCambria, CaliforniaCambria is a seaside village located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the California State Route 1 . The name Cambria was settled upon in 1869 .It is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States...
constructed in a similar style.