At present, Pritzker Prize–winning architect Tadao Ando is building Kim’s Palm Springs home, which she describes as “concrete, gray-toned, and really zen,” while Kengo Kuma, who designed the National Stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as well as LVMH’s Japan headquarters, is creating a glass-and-wood lake house for her in an undisclosed location, where Kim travels every Fourth of July. — Vogue
The Palm Springs home and new Kuma design will offer some competition to the pricey portfolio her ex-husband has been building with his recent $57.3 million acquisition of an Ando-designed Malibu home that was custom-built for investment manager Richard Sachs in 2013.
Kardashian, who visited Ando's Chichu Art Museum in her past life with the Donda rapper, recently acquired ownership of the couple’s minimalist Hidden Hills home in the fall as part of the stipulation for their now-finalized divorce The Vogue cover girl credited the design process and collaboration with Axel Vervoodt with instigating a “love affair with architecture, specifically Japanese” as she spoke with the magazine’s Jen Wang about her SKIMS side hustle and new redefining role as the face of Balenciaga.
37 Comments
Easier to find than I expected.
https://goo.gl/maps/3Jpw6GJbVK...
It is hilarious to me that the differences between the ultra-wealthy and regular people come down to quantity, not quality. They live within the same bankrupt paradigm as the rest of us, but hey, at least the wealth means they get to enjoy it.
Fundamentally, that lot is no different than millions of other soulless suburban tract houses that are anti-pedestrian, unsustainable, and continue to sprawl across the country devouring the natural world and resources.
A real shame that two very talented architects would apply their skills to furthering this when there are much more pressing architectural problems that need to be solved for the betterment of society.
I take it you think suburban development is a cancer? why do you think most people desire it rather than living in multi-family housing?
The problem with that statement is that "suburban development" doesn't have an agreed upon definition.
I think it is possible to do sustainable "suburban" development if you reconsider what a suburb is. And no I don't think that requires only multi-family housing as a solution.
thanks, that clears things up
The other problem with the statement is there's also a growing chorus of people saying suburban development is absolutely not what most people desire ... it's just the only thing legally allowed in the vast majority of the country.
Weird that it's not showing the video. Here's a link to it: The Suburbs are Bleeding America Dry (Climate Town)
Exactly EA, and not only that but we essentially subsidize them, and the urban planning that leads to them. We could subsidize public and active transportation but we subsidize cars via fuel. We could promote native and resilient plantings but we allow and promote grass. We could require high performance, but we give huge tax incentives to the builders putting out the most garbage buildings.
Well ... if you liked that video, you'll probably like this one too then: How The Auto Industry Carjacked The American Dream (Climate Town)
My level of respect for those two architects just dropped significantly.
What's the difference? https://www.1stdibs.com/photo/exterior-contemporary-exterior-southampton-ny/5464992/
lol
Miles, if you HIRED Kuma and Ando - for anything at all - my respect for you would jump significantly. Kudos to Kardashian for knowing quality enough to hire these two.
You have to spell it kwality, Will. It's the law.
The difference is that I won't work for people who are morally and ethically corrupt. Eddie Cohen (pictured, Southampton 1982) was one of the experiences that led me here.
you're saying that Eddie Cohen is ethically and morally corrupt, and / or Kuma and Ando? Which compass you using?
Cohen was a NYC developer, you can probably figure out how that translates. As for Ando and Kumo, I'm disappointed that they are spending their time polishing a billionaire's turds, it is a complete waste of their talent and resources. But hey - isn't that what architects are for? I'm speaking from experience, as dud so graciously pointed out.
Miles, I worked for one of those 2 japanese architects. I won't say which. But they both have multi millionaire clientele and projects they don't always publish. Ignorance is bliss. The reason why you lost your "respect" was because you know who Kardashian is, but both architects have worked for similar types of clientele. I don't even need to mention the crazy working conditions. At least Kardashian is actively trying to help prison reform. Architects need to see the big picture here that the architects that get the most attention, including on archinect, have some of the most questionable clientele, but honestly architects don't really care and will continue to give thier work attention. So you rather they work for certain millionaires/ billionaires but but others? Too funny. Why do you only now care about which clients they have?
1) Most architects doing residential work for millionaires and billionaires are doing so because those are the only people who can really afford architecture. 2) Getting 17 people released from prison is great news but it is most assuredly not "prison reform" no matter how it is marketed (which is the real focus). 3) Architects who "don't really care" are the problem, not the solution. If those are your ethics, that's sad. 4) Making assumptions about when I started caring about something is both ignorant and arrogant.
I'm strictly talking about your "I lost respect" line and your cherry picking of morality.
I think what's funny here is that it's Kim Kardashian who drew the line for you. Not the super luxury private developer projects they both have worked on, or the private luxury resorts, or the questionable political regimes.
I don't understand why doing private luxury resorts in Indonesia / Bali and Saudi Arabia for the wealthy are considered thoughtful architecture, do I even need to mention the Olympics stadium controversy, but once either one of them do an architecture project for Kim Kardashian, "I lost respect." So funny.
It's OK to appreciate and admire their work. But don't be disingenuous and think that their clients are an integral aspect to the identity of their work, they're not. You strictly like their work for the aesthetics, craft, and design - not who their clients are. And that's OK. I can assure you that one of them have done residential projects for similar client profiles .
So yes, you really don't care, you just don't want to admit it, and would rather quarterback your morality on Kim Kardashian because she's an easy target. "Ugh, I thought these starchitects had a moral compass, why would they ever have Kim Kardashian as a client!?" If you care so much about "ethics", you should assess all clientele with the same neutral standard rather than cherry pick. I am starting to notice a common theme in this Archinect forum...
yup. that is a pretty good summation. I get where you are coming from Miles. It can be unsettling to realize that people you dont like share some of your sophistication and might be more of your tribe than you thought after all. The way you put it, Ando and Kuma are more of Kardashian's tribe than the other way around, but that is not very honest. As always the world is grey, not black and white, and our insistence that it be ordered into categories of US and THEM is a big part of why our society is so effed right now. It might be nicer to comment based on other things than which group you think people belong to (which is all you have done in the end ). We could at the very least have a serious conversation instead of working out which ad hominems prove the point we want to make...
1) "Disingenuous" is an accusation of lying.
2) I said respect was diminished, not lost. Reading comprehension classes may help.
3) My "line started to be drawn" while working on Eddie Cohen's project in 1982. I was two years out of school. My "line" developed over time to a point where I left the profession. To describe your knowledge of my clients and their selection vaporous would be charitable.
4) My comment is "cherry picking" because I addressed the subject of the article? I have made numerous comments throughout the forum about this and similar issues and this is the only time it has been challenged on a personal level.
5) I fully understand the economic reality of the profession and have not accused the architects of anything other than poor client choice, which is their right to make and my right to lament, all of which has been elucidated in comments above. Assuming that I have somehow associated them with KK's "tribe" is inane and the knee-jerk "defense" of Ando and Kuma is absurd.
6) The problems here are endemic to the entire profession - unless of course that falls outside of one's personal ethics and morality. There is no "us" and "them", only examples of varying degree, a.k.a. shades of grey, often shaded by money. How much do your principles cost?
@ Miles,
Do you see the issue here? You are perpetuating the very thing you are criticizing. You are perpetuating this ironic elitist and moral high-ground gate keeping of which clients are deemed worthy or not. Why can't a Kardashian like the same architects, architectural aesthetic, or style as you? Is she some how below your standards to understand that traditional Japanese revivalism of Kengo Kuma or the solemn materiality and atmosphere of Ando's work.
Also I am surprised at how you're not able to see how commercial KK has become. I would say his office and NAP (Nakamura - one of KK's disciples) are probably one of the best at acquiring a wide array of clientele and getting projects built in Japan and abroad - they know how to run a business at the client acquisition level - so by default they are quite commercial and could give 0 fucks if it was Kim or Courtney.
Somehow, your respect has "diminished" because of some arbitrary client, yet other more controversial clients (including questionable political regimes) get a pass? Listen to yourself my good man. Also, culturally speaking, Japanese are not as morally or politically expressive as westerners. Japanese do not attach morality and politics to everything in their life, like we do here in the States and some places in Europe. The good majority of starchitects or high-end architecture that we all admire at a superficial level, do not care if the client is a Kardashian, or CCP, or Saudi Arabia, or UAE, or insert any other controversial client.
A moral high ground is elitist. Kim Kardashian is an arbitrary client. I give questionable political regimes a pass. Blanket statements about morality in Japanese culture. Starchitecture "that we all admire". Listen to yourself my good man. I'm guessing you did not lead your high school debate team.
Ah yes Miles, I am quite jealous that the most momentous time of your life was the high school debate team. Miles, this isn't a debate. It's very clear that you admire certain starchitects but want to gate keep who experiences architecture. You really are disingenuous if you can't admit that. Why are you so scared to admit that you admire some Starchitecture? A lot of people do. I do. And probably 99% of people on here. Nothing wrong with that. You even said in your own words "respect has diminished, not lost." And I'm the one that has reading comprehension issues. Are you only now realizing that Kuma (kk) and Ando are starchitects? Nothing wrong with liking some Starchitecture. You're literally on a platform (Archinect) where the majority of their futures and news article on architecture feature starchitects.
Also, why are you so obsessed with Kim Kardashian that her possible commission to KK or Ando would cause your respect to diminish? Why is she so different from any other affluent client. Why didn't your respect "diminish" since one of them have plans to do a very private high-end resort in in a country who has one of the worst political regimes and outsources its indentured servant-like construction labor? Cherry picking, elitism, and gate-keeping at its finest.
Finally, all cultures have different interpretations of what is defined by the parameters mortality, if you can't accept that and want to call it a blanket statement, it just indicates how you really do live in your own little world, because of course in your world, only certain celebrities are allowed to like the same architects as you.
I am the achitecture gatekeeper - and celebrities aren't going to hire Ando because of me! And please do tell me more about my obsession with Kim Kardashian.
Whatever it is you're trying to prove is actually proving something else entirely and it's clear that you don't have the slightest idea of what that is. I'd offer you a shovel to help you dig yourself a deeper hole but it would be pointless seeing that you are already using a backhoe.
Miles, I am proving how you perpetuate the hypocritical gatekeeping of this profession by cherry picking your sense of morality and determining which clients are deemed worthy and which clients are not deemed worthy of a commission by saying things as absurd as this:
My level of respect for those two architects just dropped significantly.... As for Ando and Kumo [Kuma], I'm disappointed that they are spending their time polishing a billionaire's turds, it is a complete waste of their talent and resources.
"My level of respect JUST dropped significantly." I see, so only 4 days ago. But before then, you highly respected everything about them, lol. Again, for all these years you ignored their commissions with multi-millionaire private developers, super private resorts for the rich, and projects for shady political regimes because a Kardashian is an easy target for you. I don't need to repeat myself for a third time of why this is hypocritical. Again, it's okay to like some starchitecture work, we all do, even if we're scared to admit it l, but get off your high horse.
If you don't need to repeat yourself for a third time, why did you? You seem to think that repeating nonsense wins an argument and makes you look smart.
As for as easy targets, thanks for the practice. It would be more fun if it was marginally challenging.
Its a pretty well-known fact that purveyors of crass, tasteless culture can just buy their way to appearing classy. Case in point, Kim Kardashian's sister:
https://www.architecturaldiges...
KK working on prison reform? She is doing a lot more than that. She is working on world peace! Uniting the world through the adulation of conspicuous consumption.
One of my favorite bits on 30 Rock, when Jenna name-drops the lesser-known Kardashian sister.
Comedy gold.
good, happy for her. there actually is a stylistic connection between balenciaga's stores and japanese pop-minimalism. KK is smarter than she acts... I think architects generally have a hard time accepting the concept of a persona, that a real person with meaningful thoughts can present as frivolous and superficial as part of their public acting.
She is as deserving of good architecture as anyone else, knows what's good, and has the money to pay for it.
I'm surprised to see that there are still so many in our profession who in their naivete honestly believe that commercially successful hold tightly to ethical or moral principles at all. Ideological-driven practice is so fifty-years ago. Face it--we architects are mere hand-maidens to capital, whether it is wielded by the government, business or the individual. If some individuals justify their built work by how well they manifest core beliefs and socio-political goals, it's really just a pose and a way to promote their niche in the marketplace.
Who believes that?
Idealism is a terrible thing to lose. It needs to be kept alive for a useful life and not dismissed for hollow capital gain.
I’d love to be able to hire both Ando and Kuma
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