Inside $49,500,000 Worth ‘Architectural Gem’ Designed by Iconic Artist on His Surfboard

When it came to creating homes, the American architect Harry Gesner was a radical thinker. Lifeguards in Oxnard, California, where he spent his childhood, introduced him to surfing on large balsa boards. Even while surfing coursed through his veins, Gesner honed his art and designed structures that were a feast for the senses and the imagination. The copper-shingle-topped Wave House in Malibu, California, is one example of his beachfront architecture.

The innovative architect’s work was recently highlighted in the Wall Street Journal. If you’re a real estate aficionado or simply a surfer seeking a fabulous property, you’ll like to know that the Wave House will soon be available on the market for $49,500,000. It’s also been 36 years since the architectural masterpiece was last on the market.

What kind of relation does surfing have with this house?

Harry Gesner wasn’t only an architect; he also served in WWII. After landing on Omaha Beach in France, Gesner used a surfing maneuver termed a “duck dive” to avoid a bullet. Gesner’s life was undoubtedly spared by this, and he also got the inspiration for his famous Wave House from it. He also drew a grease pencil design of the home’s idea on his surfboard. Gesner said in Lisa Germany’s book, “I wanted the house to have the look of a giant wave at the peak of its strength.” He called it “Houses of the Sundown Sea: The Architectural Vision of Harry Gesner.”

Built for Gerry Cooper, the Wave House is meant to resemble a breaking wave from a distance. The Wave House was admired by Danish architect Jorn Utzon, who is most known for designing the Sydney Opera House. However, Gesner told Curbed the idea behind the design, saying, “I wanted a roof that formed to the curves, like scales on a fish.” 

Rod Stewart, a pop musician, purchased the house in the 1970s and then sold it to Mo Ostin, a Warner Bros. record producer, in 1987. The amazing building seems at home in its coastal surroundings.

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Its unique arches, circular terraces, and walls of glass facing the ocean are all inspired by nature. A floor-to-ceiling fireplace beneath whitewashed timbers anchors a sunken discussion pit within. There are six bedrooms and seven baths spread out across 6,208 square feet. The stone patio and planted entrance are other notable features of this marvelous creation.

The Wave House is a masterpiece of American avant-garde design. Other notable buildings he created in California for celebrities include the Cole House, Eagle’s Watch House, Hollywood Boathouses, and the Sandcastle House. His appreciation for craftsmanship only increased when he returned from the war, and he used this newfound passion to create these stunning buildings.

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