Archinect - News

Ye’s gutted Tadao Ando home is purchased by a crowd-sourced real estate investment startup

2024-08-27T12:25:00-04:00

An upstart California property investment venture named Belwood Investments has announced the signing of a purchasing agreement for the Malibu home Tadao Ando designed for Richard Sachs (and later purchased by Kanye West) in 2013. News of the announcement was made public on Monday after the home was placed on the market for a discounted price of $39 million this spring. In a press release, the firm states the deal was made for under $22 million.

The rapper-cum-fashion mogul’s devastating handiwork might otherwise be an obvious drawback. However, the firm, which promotes a crowdsourcing model of ownership, says it plans on spending $5 million to restore its interiors to their original state (the home was worth $75 million when it was constructed). The renovation is expected to take between 12 and 16 months, according to their announcement.

The New Yorker goes inside the architectural cadaver Kanye West made in Malibu

2024-06-11T17:45:00-04:00

Saxon had been hired to carve an oceanside Turrell out of an angular fifty-seven-million-dollar Ando. Ye revealed to Saxon—although not all at once—that he wanted no kitchen, bathrooms, A.C., windows, light fixtures, or heating. He was intent on cutting off the water and the power (and removing the house’s cable and wiring, which ran through the concrete in plastic tubes). He talked of clarity, simplicity, and a kind of self-reliance.

Former contractor Tony Saxson opens up to The New Yorker about his time working with Kanye West and Bianca Censori on the stripped-bare interiors of their Tadao Ando-designed home in Malibu. Some of the better quotes include Ando saying “my decision to accept [clients] projects depends mainly on their personality and aura” and Ye telling Saxson triumphantly “This is going to be my bomb shelter. This is going to be my Batcave.”

Saxson would later file a lawsuit against West for the alleged illegal termination of his services on the demolition project. The house (which appears in a state of decay and cinematic disrepair via a drone video) was re-listed for $39 million – $14 million less than the $57.3 million West purchased it for in September 2021 – in early April.

Kanye West relists Tadao Ando-designed Malibu home for $14 million less

2024-04-12T12:04:00-04:00

Kanye 'Ye' West has reportedly reduced the price of his previously listed Tadao Ando-designed home in Malibu, California, to $39 million, according to Realtor.com. The new price is substantially lower than both the original $53 million listing and the $75 million price tag it carried in 2020 before he paid $57.3 million to purchase the home in September of 2021.

The 4,000-square-foot design from 2013 had been previously owned by Richard Sachs. The deprecation might stem from its reported current state, which was affected by a hasty “gut renovation” performed last year and leaving its interior without finishes and (possibly) electricity, light fixtures, or appliances — resulting in a recent lawsuit.

Marmol Radziner served as the executive architect and general contractor for its original construction. Ando is currently working on the design of a vacation home for West's ex-wife Kim Kardashian in the Palm Springs area after seeing his MPavilion10 commission extended by another full y...

Kanye West lists gutted Tadao Ando home for $53 million in Malibu

2023-12-20T12:37:00-05:00

Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Tadao Ando, the house features a concrete exterior in keeping with the acclaimed architect’s streamlined brutalist ethos. In the couple of dozen months that Ye has owned the property, the music performer and designer removed the home’s interiors, leaving it essentially gutted. Now, instead of renovating the four-bedroom beachfront house on Malibu Road, Ye has decided to sell it, with a price tag of $53 million (he’s listing it at a loss).

Post-divorce Ye apparently contracted a gut renovation that left Ando’s original 2013 design looking more like “a bomb shelter from the 1910s” in the year leading up to its new listing. That endeavor ended in a $1 million lawsuit brought forth by its project manager over dangerous working conditions that remains unsettled.

The four-bed, 4.5-bathroom home had been purchased for $57.3 million in September of 2021. Jason Oppenheim, the agent in charge of its sale, said the new price “reflect[s] the need for the interior finishes to be replaced” and that he was confident in its ability to be “brought up to 2024 standards.”

Ando is meanwhile working on a brand new Palm Springs abode for its former co-inhabitant Kim.

Kanye West sued by project manager at Tadao Ando-designed home who was fired for refusing to perform illegal work

2023-09-14T16:13:00-04:00

A project overseer and estate guardian for Ye, previously recognized as Kanye West, claims he was dismissed for declining to eliminate all windows and electricity from Ye's Malibu residence, as per a legal complaint submitted recently in the Los Angeles County Superior Court and reported by NBC.

The legal action points to breaches of several labor standards, encompassing hazardous work environments, unsettled salaries, and unjust retaliatory firing.

The suit stems from a comprehensive overhaul the controversial rapper was attempting at the $57.3 million property, allegedly with the intention of converting Tadao Ando’s 4-bed, 4.5-bath residence into a bunker-type structure that resembles “a bomb shelter from the 1910s.” Photos published in May appear to show nearly all of the home’s glass and interior fit-out has been removed, adding to the contractor’s claims that Ye was pursuing a design devoid of appliances, electrical power, or even light fixtures.

“He continues his pattern of ...

Frank Gehry will design a new Gladstones restaurant replacement for Wolfgang Puck in LA

2023-08-23T13:21:00-04:00

After more than 50 years in service, iconic oceanfront restaurant Gladstone’s is slated to close within the next year, making way for a long-anticipated restaurant from some of L.A.’s most recognizable names. In 2024, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck expects to break ground on a new, Frank Gehry-designed, two-pronged project that will rise in its place. The new operators plan to break ground in early to mid 2024 and expect at least 18 months of construction before a 2025 debut.

The Pacific Palisades site sits on a total 2.8-acre parcel abutting the Pacific Coast Highway and Will Rogers State Beach approximately three miles north of Gehry's now underway Ocean Avenue project in Santa Monica.

Puck promised to deliver an "approachable, high-quality cuisine in a distinct architectural setting" when the redevelopment was first announced in 2018.

Also in Los Angeles, Gehry’s 800,000-square-foot Warner Bros. Second Century studios expansion recently opened, while a buyer is still being sought for the planned mixed-use project at 8150 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.

Jay-Z and Beyoncé buy $200 million Tadao Ando-designed seaside mansion in Malibu

2023-05-24T15:12:00-04:00

In a colossal real estate move, Jay-Z and Beyoncé have purchased an extravagant vacation home in Malibu for a record-breaking $200 million, as reported by Dirt.

The sale price ranks as the most ever paid for a California home and the second-most paid for a U.S. residence, behind the Ken Griffin-owned penthouse at 220 Central Park South in Manhattan.

Image courtesy Google Maps

The 8-acre Brutalist-style estate, designed by celebrated Japanese architect Tadao Ando in collaboration with L.A-based WHY Architects, flaunts unobstructed ocean and coastline views, direct access to a scenic beach, two outdoor pools, and a 40,000-square-foot mansion.

The Carter family's latest acquisition, initially commissioned by soap opera scions Bill and Maria Bell, was completed in 2014, taking 15 years to plan and build.

Courtesy of WHY; Photo by Florian Holzherr

The original listing had the residence at $295 million, representing an insane 1934.48% increase of the original $14.5 million its previous o...

Iconic Los Angeles home designer Harry Gesner has passed away at the age of 97

2022-06-14T16:41:00-04:00

Los Angeles’ architectural community is mourning the death of a legendary figure in its storied history of residential design after reports that Wave House architect Harry Gesner passed away Friday, June 10 at his Malibu home following a battle with cancer.

Best-known as the designer of several important residential commissions such as the Cole House, the Hollywood Boathouses, and Eagle's Watch which helped create a more nuanced visual culture for Southern California.

Gesner was a headstrong modernist who broke with certain midcentury conventions in pursuit of his own vision of landscape-derived naturalistic “nests” that were deliberately more responsive to both environmental elements and the local character.

An image of Gesner's Eagle Watch home from its current Airbnb listing. Image courtesy of Airbnb via super host Katherine VandeVoort

An avid surfer and gregarious regular in Hollywood circles, Gesner rubbed elbows with celebrities like Errol Flynn and is said to have learned to ...

Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner is vying for a record $225 million with the sale of his enormous oceanfront Malibu estate

2022-04-28T19:55:00-04:00

Michael Eisner is chasing a record on the bluffs of Malibu, listing his prized oceanfront compound for $225 million. If he gets his price, it’ll be the most expensive home sale in California history.

Much of the nine-building compound was designed by one of Eisner’s personal favorites Robert A.M. Stern in the 1990s and would considerably usurp Jeff Bezos’ $165 million Bel Air home acquisition, the $150 million Chartwell Mansion deal from 2019, and a nearby property owned by hedge fund magnate Marc Andreessen, which sold in October for a then-record total of $177 million.

The $225 million listing price is slightly less than the half-a-billion dollar figure originally commanded by Bel Air’s sprawling The One complex, which eventually fell to $295 million before selling for $146 million at a bankruptcy auction in early March.

Celebrity real estate is a constant in the design-savvy enclave, with recent sales of Richard Meier and Tadao Ando creations joining Eisner’s property on a list of high-profile architecture to hit the market recently.

Kanye West buys $57.3 million Tadao Ando-designed Malibu home

2021-09-20T18:04:00-04:00

Less than a month after the release of his long-awaited album, “Donda,” Kanye West paid $57 million for a Tadao Ando-designed Malibu beach house, which first listed in May 2020.

West purchased the 4,000-square-foot concrete home in an off-market deal with retired Wall Street financier Richard Sachs. It was initially listed at $75 million in May 2020 before being removed from the market.

The former owner commissioned the home, and it was completed in 2013. It has four bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, and is directly on the beach. According to Dirt, the structure reportedly required 1,200 tons of poured concrete, 200 tons of steel reinforcement, and 12 pylons driven 60 feet into the ground to support the heavy home from sinking into the sand.

Tadao Ando is reportedly one of West’s favorite architects, who described a visit to the art island of Naoshima, Japan, where Ando contributed several building designs, as “life-changing.”

Marmol Radziner was the executive architect and general contractor on this project.

10 residential projects in Los Angeles by LA architects we liked this month

2020-01-27T19:53:00-05:00

As part of Archinect's month-long Spotlight on Los Angeles, we have selected ten of our favorite residential projects across various cities and suburbs in Los Angeles County designed by practices with offices in LA.

While the region is bustling with stunning homes and raw design talent alike (too many to be featured here), we have focused our gaze on outstanding projects uploaded to LA-based Firm profiles here on Archinect.

Looking for architectural jobs in the region? Check out these firms that are currently hiring in the city and catch up also with our latest curated job picks specifically for Los Angeles.

If you missed last month's roundup of our favorite architectural projects in Austin by Austin architects, click here to take a peek.

↑ Morgan Phoa Library and Residence in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, CA by SPF:architects

↑ Mariposa1038 in Koreatown, Los Angeles, CA by Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects; Photo: Paul Vu

↑ Wonderland Houses in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, CA by MUTUO...

How do you solve a problem like Malibu? A call for revisiting Mike Davis' 'Ecology of Fear'

2018-11-15T17:20:00-05:00

The Woosley Fire, as of Wednesday morning, had burned through 97,620 acres of LA County's famed Malibu Canyon and neighboring communities nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains. Long home to an unruly mix of surfers, hippies, and celebrities, the fires have devastated numerous firebelt suburb populations along the coast, aided by the dreaded Santa Ana winds.

In total, officials have tallied more than 400 homes and other structures destroyed, leaving many homeowners to wonder whether or not to rebuild. But, LA Times op-ed columnist Gustavo Arellano asks us to ponder what would happen if we don't.

Over the last century, communities along Southern California's rugged coastline have seen an average of two major fires every decade since 1929. As predicted in Mike Davis' 1998 essay "The Case for Letting Malibu Burn,” little has been able to stop Mother Nature's wrath, which has only been made more frequent and more damaging by the region's increasingly hotter and drier summers.

The City ...

Frank Gehry/Wolfgang Puck dining complex could replace iconic Gladstones restaurant near Malibu

2018-04-04T14:36:00-04:00

After years of uncertainty, the iconic Gladstones seafood restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu could be replaced with a new beachfront dining complex designed by Frank Gehry and operated by Wolfgang Puck. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors cleared the way Tuesday for the Department of Beaches and Harbors to begin negotiations with Puck and his team over development of two new restaurants at the site.

A proposal submitted by Frank Gehry and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck was selected for the redevelopment of the iconic Gladstones site. While the lengthy negotiations process is barely starting, some were critical about the Department of Beaches and Harbors' selection process. Nicholas Buford and Gregory Plummer — of the Crews food and beverage company and whose proposal came in second — accused the department of favoritism, LA Times reports. Gladstones will operate for at least another two years.

Lindsay Lohan movie 'The Canyons' finds allure in architecture

2013-08-19T19:18:00-04:00

Though it features adult-film star James Deen and some explicit sex scenes, the only porn in "The Canyons" - the new movie directed by Paul Schrader and written by Bret Easton Ellis - is architecture porn. [...] The Canyons also spotlights a different kind of architecture - the ugly, impersonal design of multiplex cinemas. The decrepit facades and interiors of these abandoned cineplexes form the visual chapter markers of a movie that is, in many ways, about the death of traditional moviegoing.

Interview Magazine on James Goldstein, owner of Lautner's Goldstein House

2012-05-07T15:05:00-04:00

My business cards say FASHION ARCHITECTURE BASKETBALL. When people ask me what I do, they’re usually trying to ask how I made my money, not what my job is. In my mind, what I do is those three things. They occupy most of my time: fashion, going around to all the fashion weeks and being such a fanatic when I pick out my clothes, trying to be in the latest fashions. Architecture, which you can see here, with this house. And basketball, which is another full-time occupation for me.

Interview Magazine does its thing with James Goldstein, owner of John Lautner-designed Goldstein residence.

Dick Clark's Malibu Retreat Listed For $3.5 Million

2012-03-02T13:30:00-05:00

Dick Clark's Malibu hideaway makes crawling under a rock seem like an attractive proposition. The home, which looks as if it were carved from one massive megalith, sits atop a mountain and almost 23 acres of land (zoned, of course, for horses and a pool).

Just in case you were already thinking about getting a nice Flintstones style weekend retreat, there you go. You're welcome.

Not Your Mama's (Skateboard) House

2011-07-12T18:03:00-04:00

Remember your mama always telling you not to skateboard inside the house? Well, think again, mom: Francois Perrin of LA-based Air Architecture has shared with us some pretty impressive photos of his latest production, PAS House, a full-scale, 753.5-square foot prototype for a house he is currently designing in Malibu, CA for former pro skateboarder and founder of Etnies footwear, Pierre-André Senizergues (PAS).

The prototype, fully equipped with sofa, bed, furniture from the Skate Study House collection and even kitchen appliances, was just recently part of the exhibition Public Domaine/Skateboard Culture at la Gaite Lyrique, a new museum in Paris. For the 25th birthday celebration of Etnies, their team of pro skaters did a demo session in the prototype.

The complete residence, where everything in the house is skateable, will measure 2,200-square feet and will to be located in a site overlooking the Pacific at the top of Malibu.

The concept was envisioned by Senizerguesa...