The closest that titans of industry will come to acquiring a slice of Hakone in the French capital, ‘Kenzo House’ – previously owned by (and named for) beloved Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada – has just hit the market. The 13,778 sq. ft. home is offered, courtesy of Christie’s International Realty, for the first time since Takada’s death in 2020.
Originally built by the Japanese fashion icon in the late 1980s, the residence underwent an extensive renovation in 2017 at the hands of Kengo Kuma – critically acclaimed international architect and “master of transparency”. In his native Japan alone, Kuma is well known for multiple landmark commercial projects: including (in no particular order of importance) LVMH’s regional offices in Osaka and the hermetically pristine Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi.
Touted by Belles Demeures de France (Christie’s local affiliate office) as a property “without [rivals] in Paris”, the former Takada residence gives shape to Kuma’s philosophy of architecture as ‘a frame’ for nature – in turn, enriched by an internal aesthetic that borrows heavily from the east-meets-west style for which Kenzo’s fashions became famous.
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In spite of Kenzo House’s enviable location on the Place de la Bastille – putting it within spitting distance of the 4th, 11th, and 12th arrondissements – the expansive interiors evince a number of traditional Japanese aesthetic cues. Latticed roof beams and recurring bamboo and stone accents (culminating in the property’s extensive pond-style garden) encourage occupants, according to Kuma, to “experience nature more deeply and intimately”.
Kuma’s renowned attention to connective spaces – think corridors, vestibules and landings – is apparent at every turn; giving a lived-in dimension to what is otherwise a frankly sprawling residence. Consisting of four bedrooms; six bathrooms and twinned kitchen/dining room combos (have we even gotten around to mentioning the house’s self-contained studios for live-in staff?) this is arguably one of the most desirable pieces of residential real estate one can buy in Paris – and by extension, Western Europe – right now.
Shock horror: the Christie’s website doesn’t currently stipulate a reserve price, but based on two previous listings (in 2007 and then again in 2015), deep-pocketed moguls can expect to pay at least €15 million (approx. $25 million) for the whole kit & caboodle.
Feast your eyes on images of Kenzo House Paris below.
