Zahav is still a demolition site, as the last vestiges of Sfizzio have been stripped away.
Ofer, the construction chief, oversaw the completing of the trenches that will accommodate the new iron pipes to feed the new bar. A plumber came in to hook them up; it's a messy job, involving molten lead. The work was inspected by the city, and given the green light.
This coming week, the trenches will be filled in and closed up, and framing of the interior begins.
Meanwhile, co-owner Steven Cook met with architect Elisabeth Knapp to go over materials and the configuration of tables. Tile will be a major part of the interior, including walls and flooring, and it's important for the partners to select it now. The partners are considering tiles from all over the Middle East, including Morocco, Turkey and Palestine.
It needs to be ordered and delivered. Here is the floor tile that seems to be the front-runner. And Here's a wall tile that's in contention, next to a sample of a gold tile. The small squares will be replaced with gold squares from that tile, says Knapp. ("Zahav" means gold.)
Cook, naturally, wants to get in as many tables as possible. Knapp told me that she might need to adjust the interior air pressure. Huh? She was joking that the added air pressure would allow the walls to billow, allowing more interior space. Architect humor.
