Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is best known for his contemporary art that spans mediums from photography to sculptures that is often targeted against the Chinese government. However, the artist can also count architect among his many talents, from the major Birds Nest stadium designed by him and Herzog & de Meuron for the 2008 Beijing Olympics to a private residence in Hudson Valley, New York that went up for sale this summer.
Weiwei designed the extraordinary home in 2006 in collaboration with Swiss firm HHF Architects for Christopher Tsai, a Chinese-American investment manager and the world's largest collector of Ai Weiwei's artworks.
Located in Taghkanic, New York, two hours outside of Manhattan in the bucolic Hudson Valley, the property spans 37 acres and includes a 2,800-square-foot main house, guesthouse and pool.
The main house, composed of four interconnected cubes, is wrapped in silver, iron panels, giving it a stark, industrial aesthetic in the midst of the unspoiled nature of the Catskills.
Inside, the home boasts an open-layout floor plan with three bedrooms and three bathrooms with unique elements like floor-to-ceiling windows, a sleek kitchen with Italian brand Boffi fixtures, a Frank Gehry pendant lamp and three fireplaces.
“This is livable art,” listing agent Graham Klemm told RobbReport, “But it’s still very livable and practical and everything a luxury homeowner would want."
Also on the property is a rust-colored, two-bedroom guesthouse, designed in the shape of Y and cantilevered over the hilly property. The unique design earned the guesthouse an American Architecture Award in 2013. A rectangular lap pool overlooking the lush forested region caps off the distinct estate.
For $5.25 million, contemporary art lovers can live inside the design vision of Ai Weiwei in an idyllic setting just two hours from New York City.
