Arabian Nights in contemporary Morocco
Excerpt from the Book 'Living in Morocco' by Barbara and René Stoeltie. Edited by Angelika Taschen.
Frans Ankone. Marrakech - Derb el Cadi
The arabic inscription on the wall of the main salon takes the form of a formal statement: "This is a place for receiving friends. This is a place to listen to the singing of birds. This is a place of quiet and repose." And indeed Frans Ankoné saved this splendid palace in the heart of the Medina, with its décor of "zelligs", "ghebs" and "zouaqs", for the sake of the peace and harmony that reign there. To sum up Frans's long career in a few lines is scarcely possible. Born in the Netherlands, he is a talented fashion stylist who has worked with some of the world's greatest photographers. He defined the look of such publications as "Avenue", "Vogue" and "New York Times Magazine", before becoming creative director for Neiman Marcus and Romeo Gigli. He had adored Marrakesh since the end of the 1960's, but it was an old friend of his, the Italian stylist Alessandra Lippini, who finally helped him find a "riyad" there. Ably assisted by Fabrizio Bizzarri, Alessandra was able to put flesh on a number of Frans's more daring ideas, and succeeded in translating his passion for bright colours and surprising shapes. The result is an ambience that would grace the palace of the most demanding pasha.
Yves Taralon. Tanger - Marshan
The house of the decorator Yves Taralon looks very like a white ocean-going ship that has foundered against the cliffs of Tangier after a luxury cruise. The presence of several terraces on the rocks overlooking the water makes this impression even stronger Taralon can be proud of the fact that he possesses this remarkable building, sandwiched as it is between the Café Hafa, once a favorite haunt of hashish-smoking, mint-tea-drinking hippies, and a white villa worthy of a great pasha. Who else but he could have mastered its labyrinth of small rooms and turned them into a "ziggourat" teetering over the sea? He did not touch the traditional architectural details - columns, arches, "ghebs" - and chose white as his basic colour, the better to emphasize the shocking pink of the dining room, the sunflower yellow of the kitchen, the lead-grey wash in the hall, the red of the living room sofa and the red, white, and blue striped cushions on the terrace. This last, of course, is a nod to France, from the distinguished creator of the Art Café in Strasbourg and the Café Marly in Paris.
Frans Ankone. Marrakech - Derb el Cadi
The arabic inscription on the wall of the main salon takes the form of a formal statement: "This is a place for receiving friends. This is a place to listen to the singing of birds. This is a place of quiet and repose." And indeed Frans Ankoné saved this splendid palace in the heart of the Medina, with its décor of "zelligs", "ghebs" and "zouaqs", for the sake of the peace and harmony that reign there. To sum up Frans's long career in a few lines is scarcely possible. Born in the Netherlands, he is a talented fashion stylist who has worked with some of the world's greatest photographers. He defined the look of such publications as "Avenue", "Vogue" and "New York Times Magazine", before becoming creative director for Neiman Marcus and Romeo Gigli. He had adored Marrakesh since the end of the 1960's, but it was an old friend of his, the Italian stylist Alessandra Lippini, who finally helped him find a "riyad" there. Ably assisted by Fabrizio Bizzarri, Alessandra was able to put flesh on a number of Frans's more daring ideas, and succeeded in translating his passion for bright colours and surprising shapes. The result is an ambience that would grace the palace of the most demanding pasha.
Yves Taralon. Tanger - Marshan
The house of the decorator Yves Taralon looks very like a white ocean-going ship that has foundered against the cliffs of Tangier after a luxury cruise. The presence of several terraces on the rocks overlooking the water makes this impression even stronger Taralon can be proud of the fact that he possesses this remarkable building, sandwiched as it is between the Café Hafa, once a favorite haunt of hashish-smoking, mint-tea-drinking hippies, and a white villa worthy of a great pasha. Who else but he could have mastered its labyrinth of small rooms and turned them into a "ziggourat" teetering over the sea? He did not touch the traditional architectural details - columns, arches, "ghebs" - and chose white as his basic colour, the better to emphasize the shocking pink of the dining room, the sunflower yellow of the kitchen, the lead-grey wash in the hall, the red of the living room sofa and the red, white, and blue striped cushions on the terrace. This last, of course, is a nod to France, from the distinguished creator of the Art Café in Strasbourg and the Café Marly in Paris.
Living in Morocco
Hardcover, 26 x 30.2 cm (10.2 x 11.9 in.), 280 pages
$ 29.99
$ 29.99
Once upon a time in a land not so far away…
Frans Ankone. Marrakech. A "Hand of Fatima" (the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed) on the wall of the hall.