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 enjoyment to collaborate with firms like OMA in hopes of developing quality architecture.
Now the eccentric entrepreneur "is building dome-like structures that are prototypes for a new type of home ... homes he believes will break the barriers that separate classes ... namely, the rich, the middle class and the poor," according to a TMZ exclusive, citing sources familiar with the project. If there's one thing Kanye has expressed in the past, it's the importance of doing instead of talking. "People can write as much as they want but what are they doing?" he said a couple of years ago. Well, the doer is definitely doing, and his goal is an ambitious one.
Developed on 300 acres of land West purchased a few years back, the project still appears to be in its early stages. Yeezy and his crew have been researching dwelling types throughout history. His hopes to "make new housing communities that the world can enjoy. What can we expect from the audacious plan? All we can do is stay tuned for more.
11 Comments
( o Y o ), Yeezy stole your username!
omg he's not a licensed architect what are we going to do
Yo, Kanye, how many poor people living in your 'hood?
We should cut him some slack... he has to spend every holiday with the Kardashians.
I think it’s great that Kanye is getting into architecture. He’s successful in everything he gets into.
That's sarcastic, right?
Uh oh, it's Buckminster Neverland ranch.
Better than most out there. Looking good with conventional framing. McDome house?
Here you go
His idea could work
I wonder if he’d be open to letting me (or other people) our ideas. I’ve been working on something for a while now and it needs funding that he could provide.
Let the doing happen
Wallace Neff, anybody? Just blow up a damn PVC balloon, spray it with shotcrete, and save all that wasteful formwork.
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