Nicholas C. “Nick” Pritzker — a marijuana entrepreneur, member of the Pritzker family and heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune — has purchased a particularly eye-catching John Lautner-designed residence hovering high above Los Angeles, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The sellers are showbiz couple John McIlwee and Bill Damaschke, who paid actor/director Vincent Gallo $1.2 million for the modernist-style home back in 2002 and subsequently embarked upon an extensive renovation of the premises in collaboration with the interior design firm Marmol Radziner.
Originally listed for an impressive $16 million, the place ultimately sold to Pritzker for a discounted but still hefty $12.5 million. The son of billionaire Anthony “Tony” Pritzker and his wife Jeanne, the younger Pritzker, 29, is CEO of Aperture Brands, an L.A.-based startup building premium cannabis brands.
Built in 1961 for film composer and arranger Russell Garcia and his wife Gina — and known as the “Garcia House” — Pritzker’s newly acquired property rests on a 1.2-acre hillside parcel, and is easily recognizable with its parabolic roof, expansive stained-glass windows and caisson supports. Inside, three bedrooms and a matching number of baths are found in just over 2,500 square feet of Darren Brown-designed living space boasting terrazzo floors throughout.
Featured in the film “Lethal Weapon 2,” the two-story structure boasts a dramatic lava rock entryway that flows into a sunken living room spotlighted by a stone fireplace, built-in seating, stained walnut cabinetry and walls of glass. There’s also a media room, plus a curved dining area that connects to an updated kitchen outfitted with the original sink and newer Dacor appliances.
A sweeping spiral staircase leads to the upper-level bedrooms, which include a master suite offering up stunning views of the entire L.A. Basin; and outdoors, the picturesque grounds are laced with agave, cacti and a mature rubber tree, and host an expansive balcony and garden designed by landscape architect John Sharp, as well as an ellipse-shaped pool that was added around 2008 in keeping with Lautner’s initial design.
The listing was held by Weston Littlefield, Aaron Kirman and Dalton Gomez of AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate; Nichole Shanfeld of Carolwood Estates repped the buyer.
Source: artnews.com