Interiors

THE FRESH PRINCE OF BELLGAVE

May 18, 2023

TAKING A BACK TO THE FUTURE-ESQUE DIRECTION IN THE SENSE OF RETURNING TO THE PAST TO SIMULTANEOUSLY HONOUR AND IMPROVE UPON IT, SAOTA’S BELLGAVE RESIDENCE IS THE EPITOME OF AN INDOOR-OUTDOOR CALIFORNIAN PARADISE FIT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ELITE URBANITE.

Less than a 40-minute drive away from the Banks’ pop culturally iconic but fictitiously located in Bel Air mansion is another ritzy private residence in the City of Angels: Bellgave, courtesy of Cape Townbased architecture firm SAOTA in collaboration with PLUS Development, Woods + Dangaran as well as Platner and Co. Situated above Laurel Canyon Boulevard on a cul-de-sac in Hollywood Hills, its elevated position at the edge of a steep promontory permits unobstructed panoramic views from downtown Los Angeles all the way to Santa Monica. 

Architecturally-speaking, it sources inspiration from the modernist precedent set by Pierre Koenig’s mid-century landmark called Stahl House, also known as Case Study House No. 22, along with other groundbreaking LA Case Study Houses. Some of the pioneering innovations which forged the distinctive yet fused indoor-outdoor lifestyle that became synonymous with the city itself were reprised and enriched, not forgetting to include the distinguishing but climatically appropriate regional modernism approach taken.

High, arcing walls that create a sense of enclosure while erected as a powerful sculptural marker line the entrance at the end of a cul-de-sac. ‘Slices’ between the crosscut curves function as openings, allowing light to filter through to the stairwell while maintaining privacy. This grounded, enclosed area gives way to an airy, elevated antithesis upon further entry.

By raising a platform on pillars and caissons, the architects essentially lifted the house towards the view and established a series of intersecting and overlapping horizontal planes that jut outwards from the cliff’s edge. The horizontal emphasis of the terraces and oversailing eaves reflect the city’s wide horizons, imbued with a sense of volume and compression that responds to its distinctive character. In a sense, the rear of the house can be understood as a giant viewing platform. 

Protruding to embrace the front view, Bellgave’s main lounge resides in a cantilevered glass box. A rim-flow turquoise pool along the edge of the deck appears to extend beneath it, reinforcing the ‘floating’ effect just like the one created by the upper-level bedrooms while fusing the foreground with distant views of the Pacific Ocean. It also provides a marvellous contrast to the white exterior finishes.

The straight-lined city grid beneath is capitalised as an ‘ordering principle’ for the structure and programme of Bellgave, forming the basis of the interlinking and rectilinear arrangement of spaces throughout the house. Mediterranean-inspired landscaping elements, like the mature olive trees, by Fiore Landscape Design create focal points to anchor the fused indoor-outdoor “destination” experience – ranging from al-fresco dining areas and poolside lounging areas to the dining and lounge. The addition of glass walls throughout the home – including the partition separating the dry and wet kitchen – enhances not just the seamless connection between the inside and outside, but also the physical feeling of the already enormous space. However, interior and exterior volumes are modulated to afford more intimate spaces to counterbalance the vast views.

Within the walls, a restrained yet refreshing monochromatic palette of delicate, earthy hues is thoughtfully opted to reflect its desert terrains. Stucco, travertine and timber floors establish a neutral, honest and unadorned scheme which is richly textured, warm and sensual. The abundant use of chiselled Jerusalem limestone is a more specific nod to the nearby J. Paul Getty Museum. Moreover, the ingenious combination of thin, linear and chunky, curved designs for the upholstered furniture and furnishings only serves to heighten the luxe comfort atmosphere. 

As a contemporary evolution of some of the traditions associated with Californian mid-century modernism, Bellgave simultaneously pays homage to its architectural precedents while moving forward with revolutionary strategies to magnify the allure of its treasured foundation.

For more information, please visit www.saota.com