Ours is the Age of the Starchitect. Elite practitioners have achieved bold-face status, and owning a piece of their work comes with a hefty price tag. According to Inger Stringfellow of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty in New Caanan, Connecticut, homes by top- tier architects can command a premium of as much as 50 per cent over comparables. One example is the $12 million Philip Johnson-designed Wiley House in New Canaan. A glass pavilion perched on a stone podium, it is a cousin to Johnson’s celebrated Glass House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and is located just across town. “Homes like this have their own aura,” Stringfellow says. “It’s a privilege to be in them.”
While high-net-worth individuals have long sought famous architects, many home buyers today show a genuine “interest in design and how it affects where and how they live,” says Christopher Mercier, a founder of (fer) studio in Inglewood, California. A member of Frank Gehry’s team during the conception of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, Mercier sees this fresh passion for design as a welcome evolution. It makes for the best kind of client – an involved one. “You want the individual’s lifestyle to be reflected in that project,” he adds. “Otherwise you’re just making a spec house.” And as savvy clients know, the right house by the right architect may be the most precious possession of all.
New York-based writer Iyna Bort Caruso has contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and others.
New York-based writer Iyna Bort Caruso has contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and others.
New York-based writer Iyna Bort Caruso has contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and others.
New York-based writer Iyna Bort Caruso has contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and others.
New York-based writer Iyna Bort Caruso has contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and others.
New York-based writer Iyna Bort Caruso has contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and others.
Palm Beach
Florida
Ideally located on the north end of Palm Beach, this Peter Marino-designed estate offers all the luxuries of island living. From the existing 1937 home, Marino devised a tropical retreat whose Indonesian-contemporary interior showcases spectacular ocean views.
$32,000,000 Property ID: 0076920
Sotheby’s International Realty - Palm Beach Brokerage
Cristina Condon +1 561 301 2211
Kentfield
California
Joseph Esherick and world-renowned landscape architect Lawrence Halprin collaborated to integrate indoors and outdoors seamlessly at this iconic California residence. In grand-scale rooms with twelve-foot ceilings, glass walls bring the outside in, while the kitchen and great room open to Zen-like exterior entertaining areas.
$4,995,000 Property ID: D9TFY4
Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty
Stephanie Lamarre +1 415 806 3176
Westerly
Rhode Island
One of the few Charles Moore-designed homes on the East Coast of the US, Sun Up offers serene living without sacrificing the sophistication expected from a famous architect. Renowned for the remarkable spirit of his designs, Moore created different levels, cathedral ceilings and octagonal wall shapes. The entire space feels open while also offering areas of seclusion. As Moore once noted, “Good places matter.” This is one of them.
$1,775,000 Property ID: EV33SJ
Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty
Jim Buffum +1 401 741 2836 Desa Buffum +1 401 741 2809
Pol De Mar, Barcelona
Spain
Built by renowned architect Ignasi Mas i Morell, this home is an exquisite example of classic Catalan architecture. High ceilings and commanding arches ensure wonderful spaciousness, and a combination of ornate and earthy textures creates a warm ambience.
€2,000,000 Property ID: LCENVX
Barcelona & Costa Brava Sotheby’s International Realty
+1 34 93 467 58 10
New Canaan
Connecticut
A star among the city’s legacy of mid-century Modernism, the Wiley House, designed by Philip Johnson in the early 1950s, was restored by Roger Ferris + Partners. The double-height glass pavilion – with a living room and subtly hidden but generous galley kitchen – cantilevers out over the fieldstone base. The slope of the land offers lower-level rooms full views of the property. A new pool house and reconstructed barn-art gallery are set around their own separate courtyard.
$12,000,000 Property ID: S24GC9
Sotheby’s International Realty
John Hersam +1 203 417 5198 Inger Stringfellow +1 203 321 9361
