Bunshaft Residence
Encyclopedia
The Bunshaft Residence, sometimes called the Travertine House was an iconic modernist home designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft
for himself and his wife on a 2.4-acre (0.97 ha) lot on the shore of Georgica Pond
in East Hampton
, New York
. It was designed in 1962 and completed in 1963
. It was Bunshaft's sole residential design.
The house was contained within a rectangular box, 100 feet (30.5 M) long by 26 feet (7.9 M) wide, with its long dimension tangent to the lagoon's shoreline to the south and raised on a broad six-foot berm above the floodplain. The exterior walls were poured-in-place concrete clad with travertine
and the exposed roof structure was made up of pre-stressed concrete beams with a "double T" shape, exposed on either edge with the openings filled with plate glass clerestory windows. The ends of the house were shaded by a 4-foot (1.2 M) extension of the roof and side walls with a paved strip extending the stone flooring to the edge of the walls.
The main living spaces had floor-to-ceiling plate glass openings. Interior walls were white-painted plaster and the floors were travertine over a concrete slab foundation. The entry door, one of only two openings in the solid north wall, opened directly into a small entry hall between the central living room and the master bedroom. Opposite the open living area was a smaller guest bedroom and a study, separated from the living space by a U-shaped kitchen and the guest bath.
The Bunshafts decorated their retreat primarily in off-whites with natural wood and glass and occasional red accents. Lighting was designed to highlight their art collection which included works by Pablo Picasso
, Le Corbusier
, Jack Youngerman
, and Henry Moore
as well as rocks with faces painted on them by Mrs Bunshaft.
When Bunshaft's widow died in 1994 the house and its artworks were willed to the Museum of Modern Art
in New York, New York. The Museum sold the house to Martha Stewart
for $3.2 million. She commissioned a restoration to be designed by British architect John Pawson
. In the course of this project an addition to the home was initiated, but never completed. Stewart transferred the property to her daughter, Alexis, who in turn sold it to Donald Maharam in 2004 for $9.5 million. He demolished it in July 2004 for construction of a new house.
Gordon Bunshaft
Gordon Bunshaft was an architect educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1988, Gordon Bunshaft nominated himself for the Pritzker Prize and eventually won it.-Career:...
for himself and his wife on a 2.4-acre (0.97 ha) lot on the shore of Georgica Pond
Georgica Pond
Georgica Pond is a coastal lagoon on the west border of East Hampton Village and Wainscott, and was the site of a Summer White House of Bill Clinton in 1998 and 1999....
in East Hampton
East Hampton (town), New York
The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It was designed in 1962 and completed in 1963
1963 in architecture
The year 1963 in architecture involved some significant events.-Buildings:* March 7 - MetLife Building in Manhattan, New York, United States is opened.* Bankside Power Station in London, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott is completed...
. It was Bunshaft's sole residential design.
The house was contained within a rectangular box, 100 feet (30.5 M) long by 26 feet (7.9 M) wide, with its long dimension tangent to the lagoon's shoreline to the south and raised on a broad six-foot berm above the floodplain. The exterior walls were poured-in-place concrete clad with travertine
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
and the exposed roof structure was made up of pre-stressed concrete beams with a "double T" shape, exposed on either edge with the openings filled with plate glass clerestory windows. The ends of the house were shaded by a 4-foot (1.2 M) extension of the roof and side walls with a paved strip extending the stone flooring to the edge of the walls.
The main living spaces had floor-to-ceiling plate glass openings. Interior walls were white-painted plaster and the floors were travertine over a concrete slab foundation. The entry door, one of only two openings in the solid north wall, opened directly into a small entry hall between the central living room and the master bedroom. Opposite the open living area was a smaller guest bedroom and a study, separated from the living space by a U-shaped kitchen and the guest bath.
The Bunshafts decorated their retreat primarily in off-whites with natural wood and glass and occasional red accents. Lighting was designed to highlight their art collection which included works by Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
, Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
, Jack Youngerman
Jack Youngerman
-Biography:Jack Youngerman, was born 1926, St. Louis, MO, moved in Louisville, KY in 1929. He studied art at the University of North Carolina from 1944 to 1946 under a wartime navy training program, and graduated from the University of Missouri in 1947....
, and Henry Moore
Henry Moore
Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
as well as rocks with faces painted on them by Mrs Bunshaft.
When Bunshaft's widow died in 1994 the house and its artworks were willed to the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York, New York. The Museum sold the house to Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
for $3.2 million. She commissioned a restoration to be designed by British architect John Pawson
John Pawson
John Pawson is a British designer associated with the minimalist aesthetic.-Biography:Pawson studied at Eton College and the Architectural Association School of Architecture and is married to Catherine and has two children, Caius and Benedict.-Selected projects:London's Cannelle Cake Shop, several...
. In the course of this project an addition to the home was initiated, but never completed. Stewart transferred the property to her daughter, Alexis, who in turn sold it to Donald Maharam in 2004 for $9.5 million. He demolished it in July 2004 for construction of a new house.