In the photos, half-villa half-Japanese temple in the heart of the 11th arrondissement of Paris, Kenzo Takada’s house is for sale.

Japan in Paris. The former home of Kenzo Takada, the legendary couturier of the brand of the same name, is for sale. Located in the heart of Paris, in the heart of the 11th arrondissement, not far from the Place de la Bastille, the residence is hidden in the courtyard of an 18th century residential building. Protected from prying eyes. A true “shelter” if we are to believe Christie’s International Real Estate, the real estate agency responsible for the sale. The couturier, who died in 2020 from the effects of Covid-19, settled in the City of Light in the 1960s before achieving notable success with his collections there.

Kenzo Fall-Winter 2023-2024 fashion show in video, backstage

Bamboos, junipers, pink cherry trees

Built in 1993, it will be transformed into a Japanese landmark by Kengo Kuma in 2018. The Japanese architect, who has just delivered the new exhibition center in Strasbourg, has brilliantly taken this 1,280 square meter space into a place where light shines and shines. , in a calm atmosphere. This sense of peace is fully supported by the garden that surrounds the house with its bamboo, juniper, pink cherry trees and plum-red maples, lichens and mosses. This is what immediately attracted the architect. “I was most impressed by this Japanese garden located in the heart of Paris, it’s a wonder” magazine. STATEMENT:, in 2018, with pontoons and an intimate terrace, both made of wood, the view of the pools is breathtaking; it is even possible to see koi carp swimming there. “The important thing is transparency and lightness. (…) I wanted to reconnect the spaces between them, from the central terrace to the Japanese garden, through the new terrace and the living room. I strive to create depth so that the user has continuity. Fluidity is a very Japanese concept,” continued Kengo Kuma.

“Temple”

Three floors, about twenty rooms, a gym and even an elevator… If the luxurious side of the place is not a shadow of doubt, it is not the most important thing for Kengo Kuma, who especially worked on the feelings that: attract the visitor as he walks through the door. “The approach is always an important moment for me, because it inevitably changes the state of mind of the person who enters. Upon reaching the temple, you first pass through a kind of closed corridor until you reach the light, in the heart of the “sanctuary”, explained the designer. And right at the entrance is anchored by a magnificent bright oak staircase. leads upward, “inspired chigaidanas:These “displaced shelves” in which the Japanese display their works or objects of art. With dressing rooms, reception rooms, music rooms, sports rooms, offices, parking spaces… There is no doubt that the price of the villa, which can only be known on request, is abysmal.