Fire Island’s Famous Pyramid House Angles for a Sale

According to ancient Greek philosophy, our world has four classical elements: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, each of which has an identifying symbol. The symbol for fire is an upward-pointing triangle, which makes the triangular motif of this iconic Fire Island residence that’s just hit the market all the more fitting.

Hunkered into the dunes of the island’s Pines neighborhood, the seaside retreat was built in 1961 by Argentinean architect Julio Kaufman. Forty years later, per a recent New York Times feature on the home, it was purchased by novelist and playwright Paul Rudnick, who enlisted architect Hal Hayes to update and expand it.

Along with reconfiguring the layout to make the upper level an open-concept living room-dining room-kitchen space and the lower level a sizable primary suite, Hayes added the steel-and-glass wall that invites comparison with I.M. Pei’s Louvre pyramid. Extending the theme to the outside, the architect also designed a combination poolhouse/guest quarters consisting of three connected cabanas topped with pyramidal roofs.

Measuring 2,100 square feet, the A-frame abode features vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, knotty-pine-clad walls, two fireplaces, moody-blue designer tile in the kitchen and bath, multiple skylights, and opaque sliding walls that enable a flexible floor plan. Outside amenities include a swimming pool, hot tub, and a couple of modest-sized patio decks.

As reported by the NYT, the eye-catching home was purchased in 2018 for $1.32 million by real estate agent Glenn Rice, who told the newspaper he’d spent approximately $400,000 on updates to the beach house, including new electrical and plumbing systems and doors and windows. Four years after purchasing it, Rice is angling for quite a significant return on his investment — it’s listed with an asking price of $6.5 million.