Rapper, producer, and fashion designer Kanye West, legally known as Ye, raised a lot of eyebrows in 2021 when he paid $57.25 million for a Malibu, CA, beach house designed by one of the world’s most eminent architects, Tadao Ando, then reportedly gutted it.

He is said to have stripped it clean of windows, doors, electrical, and many of the architect’s signature interior finishes. But he never completed the renovation that he envisioned.

Now, he’s raising eyebrows again by putting the unfinished, bare-bones structure back on the market for $53 million.

“It will take several million dollars for the house to be finished,” Jason Oppenheim of the Oppenheim Group told the Wall Street Journal. Oppenheim, who stars in “Selling Sunset,” is the listing agent.

West wanted to remove all the windows and electricity from the home and install large generators inside in an attempt to transform the space into a “bomb shelter,” according to TMZ.

Additionally, according to Page Six, West faces a lawsuit by the remodel’s contractor and caretaker of the home, who is alleging that labor codes were violated.

Photos in the Oppenheim listing show the beachfront structure in the condition it was in prior to West’s ownership. Photos on Robb Report show the exterior of the home in its current condition: a mere concrete shell, exposed to the elements, with railings and metal trim rusted and corroded.

West’s property is sandwiched between other homes that are reported to be worth way less than his $53 million list price.

But West scored a decent deal on the house, which was initially listed for $75 million due to its connection to Ando.

The Osaka-born architect, 82, won the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 1995. His work has been commissioned by investors, philanthropists, and celebrities, including West’s ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. Beyoncé and JAY Z purchased another Ando-designed beachfront mansion in Malibu for about $200 million. There are about 20 known Ando-designed residences in the U.S.

Ando is known for his minimalist structures and his use of “smooth-as-silk” reinforced concrete. The bare bones of West’s mansion showcase 1,200 tons of concrete, 200 tons of steel reinforcement, and 12 massive pylons driven more than 60 feet into the sand.

Renowned architecture firm Marmol Radziner was the original executive architect and general contractor for the home, which encompasses 4,000 square feet of interior space and approximately 1,500 square feet of outdoor decks. There are four bedrooms and five baths.

“Natural light is used creatively throughout the space, another signature of Ando, to manipulate a warm feeling throughout the building and harmonize with its natural surroundings,” says the listing.

“Currently all interior finishes have been removed from the property, and work is needed to either restore or reimagine the interiors,” continues the listing.

In its current condition, the house is a blank canvas, Oppenheim told the Journal.

“Much of the architectural integrity and the architectural value of the house exists,” he said. Some of the original features that were removed would have been dated, as the construction was completed in 2013.

The house is located on the beach side of Malibu Road, and it’s close to top-tier restaurants, clubs, and boutiques.

It’s not clear why the 46-year-old rapper decided to list his home. He reportedly lost some sponsors and partnerships, with companies including Adidas, after making a series of antisemitic statements.

West, the bestselling musical artist with 160 million records sold and 24 Grammys won, reportedly recorded a six-figure loss on the Hidden Hills home he purchased directly across the street from Kardashian.

Randy White contributed to this report. 

The post Kanye West Gutted an Architecturally Significant Malibu Mansion—Now He Wants To Sell It for $53M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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