Larger-than-life maverick architect, WWII veteran, avid surfer and all-around Tinseltown treasure Harry Gesner is probably most famous for his iconic Wave House in Malibu. Set directly on the sand, that 1957-built home was recently immortalized in the 2019 film “Yesterday.”
That’s not to say the modernist master, now 95 and still active in his Malibu community, is a one-trick architectural pony. Gesner also designed this moody villa in Las Flores Canyon, nestled in the hills above the beachside city, that’s currently available with $14 million pricetag. Gothic wooden arches criss-cross the home’s glass-sheathed façade, which is reminiscent of a darker, more tortured Sydney Opera House.
The structure is inwardly defined by its massive central great room that visually recalls Lloyd Wright’s sublime Wayferers Chapel, a glass church in L.A.’s South Bay. (Gesner was a onetime apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright.) Through its towering wall of glass, there are dazzling views of the Pacific Ocean and much of the Malibu coastline. There’s also a fireplace, slate floors and a 25-ft. ceiling.
Dubbed Ravenseye, the approximately 4,500 sq. ft. abode isn’t just a substance-free visual gimmick. It also packs in the full caboodle of expected luxury amenities, like a swimming pool, hot tub and various patios and terraces, nearly all of them with breathtaking ocean views. More importantly, given its location, the house was hewn from stone masonry, designed to resist the wildfire flames.
But the three bedroom, three bath structure is less of a house than it is a lair, one that would not look out of place as the residence of a James Bond film’s evil villain. One look at the photographs and it’s easy to imagine Xenia Onatopp crouching around this or that corner, just waiting to let some unwitting bloke enjoy a good squeeze between her powerful thighs.
Currently owned by a non-famous English businessman, the property last sold in 2008 for about $3.9 million, according to public records. Since then, it’s been extensively upgraded in collaboration with Gesner, with a larger kitchen and redone windows. Best of all, the asking price includes a 1957 Airstream trailer in pristine condition.
Dustin Nicholas of Nicholas Property Group holds the listing.