In L.A., a Bold Residence Designed by Architect Eric Owen Moss Comes to Market at $12 Million
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The first residential project built by innovative architect and educator Eric Owen Moss, known primarily for his daring commercial commissions, which include the newly completed (W)rapper building in Culver City’s Hayden Tract Arts District, has been put on the market by German American model and actress Nicole Nagel for $12 million.
Originally built for a couple who wanted their home to be not just a space for living but also a work of art, Moss obliged, dismantling the traditional notion of what a house looks and feels like. Positioned to one side of a long, narrow parcel of just over a quarter of an acre, the smooth, poured-in-place concrete shell is pierced with unexpectedly placed and, in some cases, tilted windows. A curved roofline punctuated by skylights soars over bright, voluminous spaces with expansive white walls for the optimal display of large-scale artworks. Exposed steel beams add muscularity to the light-filled spaces, while a catwalk spans the living room and a circular staircase makes a dizzying ascent into a cylindrical space that soars four stories above the eat-in kitchen.
More from Robb Report
Paul Allen's Historic Villa in the South of France Has Been Sold to a Hedge Fund Billionaire
Nancy Sinatra's Former Beverly Hills Pad Can Be Yours for $3 Million
The original owners sold the property to Nagel in 2011 for $4.12 million, according to tax records, but almost immediately there were some flies in the ointment that caused a legal dustup. Nagel, who appeared in fashion magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar before she popped up on numerous TV programs, ER and Suddenly Susan among them, won a case against the original owners because defects known to the sellers were concealed during the sale. The precedent-setting case and related litigation helped to strengthen protections for homebuyers and creditors statewide.
Since then, Nagel has completed a thoughtful and comprehensive restoration and update of the entire property, inside and out. The exterior envelope was replaced, as were the windows, which are treated with special museum-grade glazing to protect the artwork. The one-story foyer is intimately scaled and gives way to the theatrical 2.5-story living room, which has an asymmetrical steel fireplace on one wall. The adjacent dining room flows into the kitchen, which in turn leads to the family room. The living room, kitchen, and family room all open to the backyard.
Altogether, there are four bedrooms and five bathrooms within almost 5,500 square feet. The second-floor main bedroom leads to a large, covered terrace, and a long, slender room with built-in desk space facilitates working from home.
In the front yard, a small orchard includes peach, lime, pomegranate, plum, mango, fig, and avocado trees, while the backyard showcases native and drought-tolerant vegetation surrounding a lake-like swimming pool that Nagel engaged Moss to design and which cost half a million dollars, according to marketing material. A lap lane runs down the middle, with a spa on one side, separated from the pool by a 20-foot plexiglass panel, and lounge chairs set in a shallow area on the other. Other notable upgrades to the outdoor spaces include a full-property surface water drainage system.
The home has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, in several books, including 100 of the World’s Best Houses, and in numerous films and TV programs, including Curb Your Enthusiasm and Star Trek.
The listing is jointly held by Sally Forster Jones and Tamara Bakir at Compass and Marc de Longeville at Vista Sotheby’s International Realty.
Click here for more photos of 167 South Westgate Avenue.
Best of Robb Report
Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
