The house is located in a secluded courtyard but only a few steps away from the waterfront. Standing in front of the most picturesque, little, non restored stone house at the waterfront, one walks along the right hand side of it until a small arched passage to the left opens up. The terrace separates the house from the bathroom/toilet and it unfolds to the lower level terrace of 9 m².
The passage leads to the Kuća Fotografa's courtyard.
The courtyard offers two outside sitting areas.
One of which offers a communal, bigger table I've designated as the meeting point for all the neighbours in the courtyard and another, smaller table, left of the house entrance, which is designated just for Kuća Fotografa residents.
The simple layout of the house has two floors. Two are connected by the external stone and concrete staircase and the internal steeper “samba” type steps. The ground floor offers a kitchen with a dining area as well as a bathroom with a shower, separated by two sliding doors.
The upper storey is a sleeping area with a queen size bed. A bathtub is also located on the upper floor as well as the Bullerjan wood burning stove for the cooler days. The hole in the floor opens the entrance to the internal staircase can be closed using a counterweighted trap door.
The vintage fire escape metal steps on the back wall are used to reach the little platform from which it is possible to open the roof window for extra ventilation.
Kuća in Croatian means “a house”. However this Kuća is more houses that coexist in one project. Three houses that retell three different stories using similar architectural expressions that roots heavily in local traditional architecture. As a project my attempt is to generate a holiday architecture that would fit into a sleepy coastal town without waking it up. They are all located in the vicinity of one another in the historic centre of Novigrad, a small forgotten Dalmatian town on the Croatian Adriatic coast.
The houses have their origins in the sixteenth century, but exist in their current form since the mid-nineteenth Century. Since then multiple renovations took place in different houses in different times. All three of the houses stood abandoned, partly damaged, since the end of the war in 1990's.
Great care was taken to add contemporary flair to the houses, without competing with the old. Imperfections in the original structure were not erased, but rather accented using locally reclaimed materials, retaining the special character of a particular house. Since Novigrad's historic centre is under the protection of the Ministry of Culture because of its specific urban architecture and historical importance, the rules and restrictions imposed by them were fully respected and applied in the renovation process.
I've painstakingly restored them that each of their separate histories is taken into consideration. Not just the way they were built but also the way they were lived. Exactly the second had more influence in today's design. To me restoring an abandoned house is all about discovering their stories and somehow to try to build it back into the structure. This archeological hunt of the non material stories generated storytelling fixed structure in the present.
These houses now tell new stories but are built of the old stones and old stories.
Kuća Fotografa, or "photographer's house" in English, was once the home and studio of Nikica Karavida and his wife Zorka. Nikica was born in Novigrad and was active as a photographer between World Wars 1 & 2. After his death the house stayed in the hands of the Karavida family and was lived in until the early '90s.
From the moment I've stepped into the courtyard of the Karavida property I had the idea of contrasting it with the interior of the house. As a result, I opened up the courtyard to the neighbouring houses to maintain a social, open environment, a kind of gathering point.
In contrast, the house was modeled to suit a couple, truly dedicated to each other, offering a more secluded, intimate and private atmosphere.
This bridge between public and private space is also reflected in the photographs on display inside the house. All were shot in Novigrad by Nikica. Through them he documented the lives of his contemporaries as well as telling his own personal story.
I would like to express my gratitude to family Karavida for allowing me to use the artist's works and documentation to preserve the story of Nikica Karavida in relation to this house and town.
Nikica Karavida was born in Novigrad in 1896.In 1917, as a member of the Austro-Hungarian military and on the Galician front during the First World War, Nikica lost his right leg to a landmine. For the rest of his life he wore a wooden limb. During his rehabilitation he attended an amateur photography course.
His first photographs in Novigrad were shot in 1919. Being the first public photographer in the wider Novigrad area, he was occupied with documenting most of the public events held there. In particular he was dedicated to documenting people from all layers of society. With almost every photograph he took, a person features on it, even if it is hidden.
During the Second World War, with the Italian occupation of Novigrad and the area, his photographic equipment was confiscated. That signified the end of his photographic career. From that time on, until his death in 1979 he didn't shoot a single photograph. Thanks to his great nephew's family, together with a couple of other enthusiasts, Nikica's photographs, as well as some of his original negatives that survived the last war and occupation in the region, are still with us today.
He was married but never had children.
These photos were taken a day before starting renovation of the house.
The works initiated in December 2015 and in the summer 2016 the house was finished.
Works on the structure were happening in the short but frequent stints.
For more images about the renovation process, please follow the provided link where you will find a progress gallery about it, posted during the process.
At the start of the project I was an interdisciplinary visual artist and somebody's nephew. I've entered the renovation of my uncle's (family) house equipped only by things learned in art academies and odd jobs I've done along the way.
Now, I'm an artist who does houses as a creative expression. I've blended my interests in society, traditional architecture, storytelling, concept development, design, material and various crafts into this project.
For something that really is done by hand, an incredible amount of different knowledge and skills one had to gain to work on these projects. Along the way I've acquired a group of idealistic individuals with whom I could learn and exchange knowledge, discuss ideas and make new stories. From stone carving to 3D scanning of the structures, everything is at grasp with Joško Dujić, Jadran Anzulović, Tim Stolzenburg and Tom de Gay at the heart of making together. However, many other wonderful "hands" helped us get here; by carrying stones up the narrow pathways, by building wooden kayaks, or by being that person who helps you feel as coming back home.
Since starting the project, I've moved countries multiple times. I had to learn working on the project from elsewhere with short construction stints on site. This has slowed down the process but has made it international through the merits of materials, works and people joining in. Although falling rightly into the traditional architecture category, design wise the project is truly an international puzzle composition.
For example, a Brazilian and an English friend installing a vintage bathtub from France in one of the houses, that another friend restored in Berlin...
Novigrad (Dalmatia) is a “once upon a town”, the most beautiful of Croatia's four Novigrads. Tucked away on the banks of a secluded fjord, it is famous for its fishing and for the fact that it is, in fact, not famous.
Originally surrounded by a city wall that, in some parts, is still visible, Novigrad was a safe harbour for many centuries. With the passage of time Novigrad's importance has diminished, and nowadays it is a town with only 542 permanent residents.
The road leading to Novigrad ends there. This ensures that Novigrad stays secluded and preserves the life it holds within its boundaries. In summer, its proximity to the sea makes it a lively place to be. Most of the city's tourism is made up of former residents returning to visit relatives. This creates a unique feeling to the place, different from any other coastal town along the stretch of the Croatian Adriatic coast, usually characterised by a kind of "drive through" tourism.
Regardless of its cultural heritage status, Novigrad has evolved into an interesting patchwork of old stone houses and odd new adaptations. This situation can be linked to the war in the 1990s. During and after the occupation, all of Novigrad's houses were damaged and looted. Returning to Novigrad after the war, architectural heritage was, understandably, not the townspeople's top priority. Re-establishing life meant temporary not-so-nice repairs that in some cases became permanent.
Novigrad's location is what has kept it special throughout time: typically coastal yet tucked away in the continent with a mountain holding its back...
The following link leads to the GoogleMap of the area, featuring many places of interest.
We hope you'll find something suitable for yourself:
This calendar is an availability preview only and bookings can be made exclusively by emailing. Green is booked.
Rental season is April - November.
Minimum rental period is one week unless there is a time period shorter than a week locked between already booked periods.
01/04/2025–01/06/2025
28/09/2025–01/11/2025
The house rental is 95 € per night + 80 € one off cleaning fee.
02/06/2025–27/09/2025
The house rental is 130 € per night + 80 € one off cleaning fee.
44°10'50.40"N 15°32'57.17"E
There are four Novigrads in Croatia. This one is the oldest one, but no longer the most famous or easy to find. To avoid any confusion, please use the coordinates above.
The Novigrad you are looking for is Novigrad Dalmatia, with the postal code 23312.
It is 30 km away from the region's capital, Zadar, and about the same distance to the closest airport (ZAD - Zadar Airport).
It is recommended to have a car at disposal in order to take full advantage of the region's beauty. However Novigrad can also be reached by plane, bus or bicycle.
When arriving by car via the A1 highway, take Exit 16 - Posedarje. Turn right onto road D106 and after 1 km turn right again onto the E8, direction Zadar. Only 1 km later turn left onto Stari Put. Novigrad is signposted at this junction. Simply follow the road for the next 10 km and you will reach Novigrad.
Distances from Novigrad to closest cities that have airports:
Zadar 30 km
Zagreb 270 km
Split 160 km
Rijeka 230 km
Zadar Airport is served by many airlines during the high season. For more flying options, especially during a period out the main season, the airports in Zagreb and Split provide additional destinations. Many car rentals companies are available at any of these airports.
This is a house designed for two guests.
The closest parking to the house is along the waterfront.
Pillows, duvet covers, bedding and towels are provided and are included in the rental price.
The house has a fully fitted kitchen. Kitchen equipment includes:
+ Refrigerator with freezer
+ Oven
+ Induction cooker
+ Kettle
+ Moka pot
+ Cookware, crockery and cutlery
+ Dishtowels and dish soap
The bed size is 160x200 cm. On request a baby bed can be provided, as well as a highchair.
There is a cordless Bang&Olufsen BeoPlay A2 audio speaker for your use, both vie Bluetooth or by using the audio cable provided.
The house has WiFi.
For the colder months, the house is equipped with a Bullerjan wood burning stove on the top floor.
The house has no air condition and no TV.
During the summer months, Novigrad has a few restaurants that serve regional food like fresh seafood, ham, cheese and various other dishes.
There are also some cafés and bars where you can endlessly drink coffee, beer and wine.
If you want to cook at home and enjoy your dinner on the terrace you can buy fresh vegetables and fruits (on some days also fish, eggs and honey) just under the terrace at the local market. For basic products like milk, bread and sugar there are two smaller supermarkets. There is also a bakery next to the market. You will wake up each day to the smell of freshly baked bread.
Fresh meat and fish can be bought in Posedarje, a village 10 kilometres from Novigrad. In Posedarje there are also supermarkets with a wider range of products. You will find large shopping malls and chain stores on the way to Zadar and in the city itself.
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+49 152 03044625
Tom de Gay / all the house photos, details, town photos
Željko Karavida / courtyard with tables photos
Michael Kutschbach / town photos
Steve Bielschowsky / town photos, portrait
These people have always been friends/family or have become along the way:
family Karavida, Annette Reuther, Tom de Gay, Jadran Anzulović, Joško Dujić, Tim Stolzenburg, Milić Škorić, Lara Kajmak, Lovre Katalinić, Damir Šarac, Frane Sinovčić, Hedi and Willi Reuther, Nina Ptak, Vinko Kajmak, Mirko Dujić, Stipe Dujić, Mikey Kutschbach, Dragan Čeranić, Mason Juday, Stanko Žnidaršić, Antonija Čeranić, Urlaubsarchitektur.
Ria, Pep, Marin i Alvaro
Copyright © 2020 Boris Kajmak. All rights reserved.
