Coop Himmelb(l)au, Architects

Steps to Abbot Kinney and the beach, this dynamic urban intervention is a rare private residence by Viennese architects Coop Himmelb(l)au, and the first project built by the Austrian team in the United States. Here the architects explode the constraints of functionalism into a thousand pieces, in the process creating a complex sculptural form interwoven with the apparatus of living. An impeccable Bulthaup kitchen and the finest European fixtures and appliances set an uncompromising standard of elegance inside, disguised by the raw drama of the exterior. The expressive use of concrete, glass and structural steel is tempered by an open plan with direct connections to the landscape, natural wood ceilings, the play of daylight and cool ocean breezes. At the top, a generous roof deck commands panoramic 360-degree views from the Getty Center to the Hollywood sign and mountains beyond downtown. Private, gated compound with 3 bedrooms, 3-1/2 baths in 2,522 square feet.