The Only House Ai Weiwei Designed In United States Sells For $4.9M
Image via J Morc / Shutterstock.com
Whoever purchased this US$4.9 million property two hours north of New York City also gets to live in an actual artwork. The house, designed by Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei alongside Switzerland-based HHF Architects in 2006, is the only US private property to have ever been designed by Ai.
The house, which bears the name of the Tsai Residence, was commissioned to the artist by investor and art collector Christopher Tsai, Artnet News reports. The 2,800-square-foot space sports an abstract, industrial aesthetic with its hallway of four cube-shaped timber boxes encased in corrugated galvanized iron.
The design is based on a simple abstract figure sitting almost incomparably on the highest elevation of the large block located two hours by car upstate from New York City. The four equally sized boxes were built as simple timber constructions clad in corrugated galvanized iron.
The Tsai Residence is built with two living rooms, three bedrooms and bathrooms, three fireplaces, and an outdoor lap pool. Its guest house contains two bedrooms, an office, and an art gallery.
The home sits on a green 37-acre plot of land, and its floor-to-ceiling windows ensure views of the lush Columbia County countryside that stretch far and wide.
Since then, it has had a few other occupants. The property sold for US$4.25 million in 2013, and was once again put up for sale in 2019 with an anticipated price of US$5.25 million. It remained without an owner until just recently. The transaction was first reported by the art news outlet’s senior reporter Katya Kazakina.
Ai Weiwei designed house in upstate NY sold for $4.9 million - broker says it’s the only private residence by the artist, commissioned by investor Christopher Tsai. pic.twitter.com/PRHp7rPlW7
— Katya Kazakina (@artdetective) April 5, 2021
[via Artnet News and Archinect, images via various sources]
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