Archinect - News

Kanye West's futuristic domes have been demolished

2019-09-10T10:49:00-04:00

Kanye West's "housing project" has been destroyed. Although the music mogul and controversial media star has made headlines with his plans to design and build a "new" type of home, TMZ's sources have confirmed the project has been shut down. The futuristic housing structures previously built in Calabasas, California faced destruction on Monday afternoon due to a failure to comply with building codes.

TMZ provides more details of the project's status: "All but one of the housing prototypes were torn down with about a week to spare before the September 15 deadline ... imposed by the L.A. County Dept. of Public Works for violating the building code."

Many Yeezy fans may be devastated by the news. However with one of the housing prototypes still standing, status of the project being moved elsewhere is still unknown.

Kanye West's domes lack permits, face potential demolition

2019-08-07T19:11:00-04:00

Last week, we received news of Kanye's plans to "build a new type of home" that he believes will separate barriers between the rich, middle-class, and the poor. Built on his 300 acres of land in Calabasas, CA, the ambitious egalitarian now seems to have left out one crucial step in the building process — apparently there are no permits.

According to TMZ's sources close to the project, it looks like "several neighbors have complained to the L.A. County Dept. of Public Works, and after inspectors came out to the property, they determined the project violates the building code, and if Ye doesn't get the property permits by Sept. 15, the structures must be torn down."

An inspector that went out to the site was told by the site manager that "the domes were part of a 'production,' and they were temporary structures." A convenient line of reasoning to avoid the need for permits. But upon further inspection, it was found, among other things, that the domes were sitting on a concrete foundat...

Kanye West is building domed housing in pursuit of breaking down class barriers

2019-07-31T19:31:00-04:00

Kanye West's passion for architecture is no secret. Almost a year ago he announced his YEEZY Home venture which emerged as a low-income housing endeavor composed of prefabricated concrete modules. We've also seen him pop up at the GSD and SCI-Arc to explore the academic depths architecture has to offer. In 2010, West cited a lamp design by Le Corbusier as a guiding inspiration for his hit single All of the Lights. About five years ago he spoke at length of a previous partnership with Rem Koolhaas. Several years later, West hired interior designer Axel Vervoordt to re-design the Calabasas home West shares with his wife, Kim Kardashian West. And more recently, West worked with Los Angeles architect Willo Perron to design Yeezy's California headquarters in Calabasas.

"I was able to take my position as a musician...and as a celebrity and be able to invest in a project with a company to that level," he expressed in an interview with Koolhaas' son, Tomas. West elaborated on his desire and...