As one of the 20th century’s most celebrated architects Frank Lloyd Wright designed thousands of buildings, but as statistically unlikely as it may be, Della Walker House is the only one constructed on coastal waters. This week the home, which takes the shape of a ship’s bow breaking waves, has been sold for the significant price of US$22 million (AU$32.6 million) which makes it the most expensive Wright-designed house ever, eclipsing the Ennis House in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, which sold for US$18 million in 2019.
Originally constructed in 1951 and located on Scenic Drive in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, Della Walker House was commissioned in 1945 by the recently widowed artist Della Walker, who requested Frank Lloyd Wright design her home after the passing of her lumbar executive husband. Her situation and request were compelling enough for Wright to take the project on, designing the home to reflect the shape of the small peninsula it was to be constructed on, using cedar wood and locally sourced Carmel stone.
“I am a woman living alone – I wish protection from the wind and privacy from the road and a house as enduring as the rocks but as transparent and charming as the waves and delicate as the seashore,” she wrote, according to the Wall Street Journal. “You are the only man who can do this – will you help me?”
RELATED: These Lost Frank Lloyd Wright Projects Have Finally Been Brought To Life
Spanning a total of 1,400 square feet, the triangular shape of the home was the product of an uncompromising vision that Wright wanted to create, which despite its angular beauty and glove-like fit with its surroundings, did mean some practical considerations were ignored. Designed on a tessellated hexagonal grid, the Della Walker House had little room for any specific requests by Walker, which was explained in an interview with her great-grandson and The Architects’ Take.
“She wanted an exit to take out the trash, and Wright insisted that it would destroy the integrity of the grid,” said great-grandson Brooks Walker, who is himself now an architect. “Wright was willing to sacrifice practicality for an architectural idea. She had to fight to get a door. The kitchen is cramped and tiny, but for site context, the house is brilliant – a perfect fit for the tide pools all around. Going to that place was a transformative experience for me.”
Sold through Sotheby’s International Realty, it’s understood that Della Walker House was bought by the property investment and development firm Esperanza Carmel LLC, which is now the caretaker of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most expensive design.
All image credit: Matthew Millman for Sotheby’s International Realty.
