Lately, many impressive real estate offerings have been rotating through the ultra-luxury market—from a record-breaking $120 million sale in Connecticut to extravagant listings from celebrities and entrepreneurs. But, there’s nothing quite like a legendary architect’s own home hitting the market. The late Harry Gesner’s Malibu residence just came onto the market seeking $22.5 million, available to buy for the first time ever.
Dubbed “Sandcastle” for its roofline, Gesner designed this residence in 1974 as his own family home. Now his son, Zen Gesner of Compass is the listing agent. Zen Gesner says the home is “built almost entirely from reclaimed materials,” including beams, a wood-plank ceiling, and bricks. Yes, the waterfront pad checks the expected California beach house boxes: 122 feet of beachfront, panoramic ocean views, wrap-around deck, and plenty of space to soak up the sun. But, given the home’s creator, it also comes with a lot of unexpected design elements.
One especially notable feature is the fireplace, which “was built to resemble a Greek Theater Shell with the cantilevered concrete hearth as the stage, and the sunken living room in front of it becoming the theater house.” The architect designed the fireplace for his wife, Nan Martin, who was a well-known Broadway actress.
The property totals six bedrooms and six bathrooms, which includes three additional structures with space for living, lounging, and sleeping. The architect summed it up astutely while alive, calling it “a dream place, built with love.”
Chris Cortazzo, also of Compass, shares the listing with Zen.