The small stone house in the Croatian fishing village of Novigrad is known as “The photographer’s house”. The house was once the home and studio of Nikica Karavida, the first public photographer of the region during the 1920s and 1930s. During the war in Croatia the house was destroyed, and lay uninhabited until 2015.
Then the artist and designer Boris Kajmak renovated the house and turned it into a cottage for two. He preserved the original character of the house through the respectful treatment of the old building’s structure and fabric, and by the use of local materials and traditional furniture. Decorative elements were carefully integrated, such as the cube tiles with three-dimensional visual effect, which have been laid around the bath tub.
The cables and piping fixed to the walls also form a unique, geometric wall decoration. And the trapdoor’s rope hoist construction, with its large stone block as a counterweight, is an unconventional detail. As a tribute to Nikica Karavida, his photographs are spread all over the house. Unlike the secluded and private atmosphere of the interior, the courtyard opens to the neighbouring buildings and forms a sociable meeting point.
More Information and insights you can find in our HomeStory: House Whisperer – The Kuća project of the Croatian designer Boris Kajmak
Pictures by Tom de Gay
What to do
Swimming, cycling, kayaking, fishing, hiking in the Velebit Nature Park, excursions to Zadar with the Sea Organ designed by architect Nikola Bašić
Why we like this house
Renovation with an artistic approach. A simple and rustic house with lots of character and unusual details.
This house is great for
Couples, single travellers;
Sustainability
Public transport: There are several bus connections a day to Zadar, the most important city in the region.
Owner
Boris Kajmak is a Croatian interdisciplinary artist and designer who assimilates artistic thought into the architectural perception. Like with Kuća Kamena his creative process starts with the end product: consumption of the space. When renovating, non-tangible elements like sounds, smells and light define the structure.
His conceptual approach has generated sculptures, design, and architectural pieces that have been exhibited internationally since 1999. After graduating in printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Mostar (BIH) in 2004, he obtained additional MA at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2005, London (UK). Boris Kajmak currently lives and works in Rome, Italy.
Details
| Region | HR – Croatia, Dalmatia, Novigrad |
| Name | Kuća Fotografa |
| Scenery | In the historic centre of the small fishers' village very close to the water |
| Number of guests | Suitable for 2 guests |
| Completed | 2016 |
| Design | Boris Kajmak, Berlin |
| Published | GEO Saison -March 2022, DIE ZEIT 42/2020 |
| Specials | A few steps away, the houses Kuća Kamena and Kuća Skala, also renovated by Boris Kajmak, can be found. |
| Architecture | Historical, Old & new |
| Accomodation | Holiday home |
| Criteria | 1-2 (house/apartment), Art, Beach, Hiking, Lake/river, Sea, Urban |
| Same Partners | Kuća Skala, Kuća Kamena |
| Same Architects | Kuća Skala, Kuća Kamena |
Availability calendar
The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with white background the accommodation is still available. On days with dark gray background the accommodation is not available.
7 Comments
Wir waren 2 Wochen in dem Haus und in Novigrad und haben noch nie so viel Zeit an einem Ort verbracht wie in Kuca Fotografa. Nach den Ausflügen war es immer wieder ein Genuß in das Haus zurüchzukehren.
Kuca Fotografa setzt die Architektur von Novigrad in Innenarchitektur um und ist gleichzeitig modern und historisch. Wir hatten die Gelegenheit auch Kuca Scala und das neue Projekt in der Bauphase zu sehen. Sehr spannend und hoffentlich gibt es noch mehr solcher Projekte. Novigrad hätte es verdient
We met Boris Kajmak completely unaware of his project of conceptual revival/re-interpretation of stone houses in his hometown of Novigrad. We became fast friends on the grounds of his unique personality and jumped at the opportunity to visit Novigrad and the houses he re-made, if only for a day. We spent around 24 hours there and had a glimpse and heard a lot about Kuća Kamena and other parts of this ongoing project. But staying in one of the houses and experiencing it first hand truly beats the talk. We stayed the night in Kuća Fotografa (The Photographer’s House) and immediately connected to the place. The first thing that catches attention is the clever and playful zoning of the house. Right from the get go it pulls you in its peculiar diagram which demands certain adjustments to usual routines of moving through and occupying space. The other thing that grabs you is the careful balancing of the traditional building techniques and the logic of modern life, both of which reflect the particularity of a position of a photographer such as Nikica Karavida who lived and worked in a place like Novigrad during the period between two world wars. His photographs arranged throughout the house are not your usual melancholy triggers. They are actual physical remnants of his particular view of the world and his (modern) work as well as his gaze directed at life of his fellow townspeople. Something similar may be said about Kuća Fotografa and Boris Kajmak. His genuine interest and dedication to the material facts of traditional house building are obvious in every detail you can see, touch and use in Kuća Fotografa. But the mission seems to be something else. It may be setting a stage that will help in capturing the wonders of an everyday moment in a carefully lit room, as photographers do. In a nutshell, this remarkable house instantly makes you look at things differently. If it can do so in only a night, I wonder what may be the effects of a longer stay. We will surely be back.
Wir hatten herrliche zwei Wochen im Kuca Fotografa, diesem von Boris so wundervoll restaurierten und eingerichteten, kleinen Haus mit den vielen Details im kleinen, verschlafenen Fischerdorf. Der freundliche Kontakt zu Boris, zu Antonija vor Ort — mit der Möglichkeit mit Ihr und Familie einen Bootsausflug zu machen, ein Gespräch mit den Nachbarn im Innenhof, all dies ist mehr als ein Urlaub in einem beliebigen, nur eben schönen Haus. Auch bietet sich Novigrad als Ausgangspunkt für zahlreiche Ausflüge an. Alles kann, nichts muss. Ein idealer Ort um zu entspannen.
Schon seit 2 Jahren waren wir verliebt in das kleine Häuschen, aber immer war jemand schneller und hatte Kuca Fotografa schon für sich reserviert. Diesen Sommer aber klappte es und wir fuhren für zweieinhalb Wochen nach Novigrad. Zum ersten Mal total unvorbereitet, wir wussten gar nicht so recht, was uns dort erwarten würde. Nur, dass Winnetou in der Gegend gedreht worden war. Erstaunlich, dass wir trotz unserer Ignoranz dann doch noch fünf Tage vor unserem Eintreffen registriert haben, dass es sich um das dalmatinische Novigrad handelt. Denn Kroatien hat ganze vier Novigrads im Angebot. (Wie wir später erfahren haben, ist das ein häufiges Missverständnis und einige landen tatsächlich in Istrien.) Wir sind uns nicht ganz sicher, woran es liegt, dass wir so schnell loslassen konnten: War es unser Unvorbereitetsein, der Charme des verschlafenen und zauberhaften Städtchens Novigrad, das Häuschen, das Boris ausgesprochen liebevoll instandgesetzt und eingerichtet hat, vielleicht aber auch Antonija, die sich immer aufmerksam um unsere Anliegen gekümmert hat, oder doch die Herzlichkeit unserer Nachbarn, die uns mit offenen Armen in ihren Kreis aufgenommen haben? Keiner der Punkte wäre wegzudenken aus diesem wirklich perfekten Aufenthalt. Danke für alles, wir kommen wieder!
Wir kennen und lieben sowohl die kucakamena als auch jetzt die kucafotografa: beide sind so schön! Zierliches Meissen und wunderbares Holz, behauener Stein und weißes Leinen-lokaler Wein, Olivenöl und frisches Brot — und dann vielleicht noch ein fangfrischer Fisch: Perfekte Ferien
We stayed at Ku?a Fotografa for two weeks during August with our 6 months old daughter. We still remember the moment we arrived at the house. We instantly felt at home and were stunned by the beauty of the place. The attention to detail and the love for traditional craftsmanship found here are incredible. Every single piece, from tiles to cutlery, seems to have been selected with purpose and merges into one composition. Each morning we woke up to a perfectly arranged pattern of natural light on the stone walls which contributed to this special atmosphere. These massive walls also keep the house pleasantly cool during daytime and the patio is the perfect outdoor living room at night. We just love this place and are longing to come back to Novigrad, where time is actually moving a little slower than where we are from :)
Nach zweimaligen Besuch in kucakamena waren wir im Oktober 2016 in kucafotografa und tauchen als erstes in die wunderbare Badewanne ein, da draußen sintflutartiger Regen ans Haus prasselte. Dann wurde auch der Bollerofen in Gang gesetzt und bald war es warm und gemütlich.
Der nächste Tag war wieder strahlend blau und der Cappuccino an der Uferstraße ließ den neuen Tag beginnen. Auch ein Morgenbad im Meer war drin, allerdings nur für finnlanderprobte Reisende. Wir kommen wieder.