From high-profile design commissions to exciting listings, there is always something new happening in the world of real estate. In this roundup, AD PRO has everything you need to know.
On the Market
A Piece of Hollywood History Goes On Sale
The Beverly House, the iconic Beverly Hills mega-mansion once home to newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and his love, actress Marion Davies, is back on the market for $119 million.
Given that it’s one of the world’s most expensive residences, London’s Beauchamp Estates is promoting the iconic palace to overseas ultra-high-net-worth clients, with an eye toward a Chinese or Hong Kong billionaire, Russian oligarch, or Gulf royal.
“There are just around 20 families around the world who have the wealth to buy this Beverly Hills mansion and use it as a holiday home, to be visited perhaps once or twice a year,” says Beauchamp Estates managing director Jeremy Gee.
Built from striking pink terra-cotta stucco, the 35,000-square-foot house sits on 3.5 acres, with 18 bedrooms and a staggering 25 full bathrooms. Built in 1927 by Gordon Kaufmann for banking tycoon Milton Getz, it’s emblematic of Hollywood’s Golden Era, with H-form architecture characterized by long colonnades, wide balconies, arched floor-to-ceiling windows, and cavernous spaces. The home is suffused with a glamorous history, serving as a honeymoon getaway for John and Jackie Kennedy and appearing in films such as The Godfather and The Bodyguard. More recently, it was used by Beyoncé for visuals in her album Black Is King.
Standout features include a two-story library with hand-carved paneling and a wraparound walkway; an Art Deco–style nightclub; and a billiards room with a hand-carved stone fireplace mantle and intricately designed ceiling, both virtually identical to ones at Hearst Castle.
The property was last listed in 2018 for $195 million.
Milestones
A Rosy Future Blossoms in Kips Bay
Eastlight, the new 34-story condominium rising in Midtown East’s Kips Bay neighborhood, celebrated its topping off last week with a nod to its flowery past. On February 22, George Washington’s birthday, a rose bush was raised on the hoist of the tower, commemorating when the founding father was presented with a few of the Rosa gallica from Jacobus Hendrickson Kip’s garden.
“Eastlight is a prime example of the eye-catching new construction that has transitioned Kips Bay into an increasingly dynamic residential area,” said Tricia Hayes Cole of Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group.
Designed by CetraRuddy Architecture, the 144-unit tower will be the tallest building in the area, with residences offering floor-to-ceiling windows, white oak plank flooring, and Miele appliances. Amenities on the top floor include a fitness center, game room, and terrace lounge with its own dining area and barbecue. Work is expected to be completed in early 2022.
Old Meets New on the Upper West Side
Sales launched this week for 212 West 93rd Street, the latest New York project from architect Eran Chen of ODA. The boutique 20-unit condo emphasizes outdoor space with projecting bay windows and stepped terraces with lush landscaping.
“We envisioned 212 West 93rd as an extension of Central Park, positioning each of the homes to get the best exposure to sunlight and fresh air,” Chen tells AD PRO.
Designing the building was an exercise in equilibrium, he says, balancing indoor and outdoor, function and luxury, and old with new. When it’s completed later this year, 212 West 93rd Street will incorporate a new home for the Shaare Zedek synagogue, which stood on the property for more than a century. (The temple will be accessible through a separate entrance at the base of the building.)
