Santa Monica Midcentury Masterpiece Now Seeks $15.95M
Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer’s one design project in the United States, which resulted in a signature mansion, is back on the market, with a significantly lower price tag.
The midcentury modern home, built in 1964 for filmmaker Joseph Strick and his wife, Anne, is now listed for $15.95 million, down $4 million from the original asking price. The 5,153-square-foot property is celebrated as one of the most important examples of modernist residential architecture in North America.
Niemeyer, known globally for his groundbreaking curvilinear designs, was blacklisted during the McCarthy era and was unable to work directly in the U.S. Instead, he designed the home remotely while a local architect completed the construction drawings, according to the Society of Architecture.
The final design took three attempts to gain city approval and features a minimalist International Style structure with a dramatic layout. The stem of the “T” houses common spaces with 14-foot walls of glass that open onto a bamboo garden and a sunken living room. The wings contain the bedrooms, including a primary suite positioned along the bluff with sweeping views overlooking the Riviera Country Club.
The home is currently owned by artists Michael and Gabrielle Boyd, who purchased it in 2003. A developer had bought the home two years earlier with plans to demolish it, but the Boyds intervened to preserve and restore the historically significant property.
In an interview with W Magazine, the Boyds said the house was largely untouched from its original form, requiring mostly cosmetic restoration. They redesigned the floors in palmwood, landscaped the gardens with Brazilian plants, and filled the home with period-appropriate furnishing, including black leather chairs designed by Niemeyer himself.
The property also includes a pool, expansive tropical gardens, a wooden deck, and a private patio off the primary suite. The owners made only one change to the estate: they used the garage to expand the already existing library to house their architectural book collection.
Aaron Kirman and Dalton Gomez of Christie’s International Real Estate still have the home listed on their websites with the reduced price. Neither has commented on the matter.
