A unique opportunity
The ostentatious Malibu mansion that Kanye West once called home is now on the market for a discounted price of €36.3 million, a significant discount from the €53.4 million the rapper paid for it in 2021. The property, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, boasts 350 square meters of living space, a minimalist style and stunning ocean views.
A house with potential
Despite the fact that this home designed by Tadao Ando is one of his ‘classics’, and according to Ron Radziner, who has collaborated with the architect on several occasions, it is one of his most ‘adored’, the singer decide to sell it.
In addition, it can be noted that the residence also comes with an unexpected twist: it is completely in ruins. Ye stripped the property of all its interior finishes, including doors, windows, plumbing, electrical and HVAC, leaving an empty shell of concrete and steel beams.
A unique vision
Why would anyone want to buy a home in this state? According to a recent in-depth investigation by The New Yorker, cited by AD magazine, it offers some clues. According to Ian Parker’s article the singer was trying to ‘remix’ the house.
For his part, Kulapat Yantrasast, an architect who worked at Tadao Ando’s company and with Kanye West for a while, told The New Yorker: ‘I really admire what Grega was trying to do’, which was supposedly to use the ‘as a basis for building your own architectural language’.
An opportunity for visionaries
Real estate agents hope that the right buyer will see the property as a unique opportunity to create their own personalized space. However, with a still high selling price and the significant investment required to complete the renovations, only a buyer with deep pockets and a clear vision will be willing to take on this challenge.
The vision of Kanye West
According to the aforementioned medium, Kanye West had the idea of achieving architectural greatness. Already in his youth he showed interest in this field; the rapper briefly attended the Art Academy of Chicago and Chicago State University before dropping out to pursue music.
According to the article, his approach to this branch began at a very young age, when he would visit his local Barnes & Noble bookstore to read copies of AD. He was even invited to the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2013 to talk about his personal study of the discipline.
Kanye West, in the news
The truth is that because of his questionable decisions, Kanye West remains an enigmatic figure in the world of entertainment. Despite not running in the 2024 presidential election, as was speculated, the rapper, designer and entrepreneur remains active on several fronts.
