Gesner’s Sandcastle House Sells For Deep Discount

It took nearly a year after being relisted, but an iconic piece of Malibu real estate has finally sold—at a relative steal of a price! The hand-built home by visionary architect (and surfer) Harry Gesner known as the Sandcastle House was repriced for $22.5 million in May 2023 and has just sold for $13.5 million.

The six bed/six bath property boasts 122 feet of beachfront, known for its roofline inspired by a sandcastle. With textures determined in part by the materials Gesner salvaged as an early evangelist of sustainable construction, materials include telephone poles, reclaimed bricks, wall panels made from aqueduct pipes, birdseye maple from a high school gym, old-growth redwood harvested in the 1800s, and windows and doors saved from one of Hollywood’s silent film theaters. 

With massive spoke-like beams and a wood-plank ceiling, the heart of the main house is a window-wrapped space that comprises living and dining areas with an enormous brick fireplace at its hub. Inspired by the Hollywood Bowl, Gesner built the fireplace as a stage for his wife, actress Nan Martin, with a huge polished concrete hearth. 

A solarium with stained glass panels flanks the dining area, and the ocean views enjoyed from the interior areas extend to the wraparound deck just outside. Echoing the cylindrical shape of the house itself, the kitchen wraps around a circular island and has tile countertops, stained glass lunettes fitted into the beams overhead, a fireplace, updated appliances, a breakfast bar, and a walk-in pantry. 

On the home’s main level are two ensuite bedrooms, one with built-ins suitable for an office. Upstairs is the primary suite tower, with high ceilings, huge beams, charming eyebrow windows, a brick fireplace, an ocean-view sitting area, and a spiral staircase with handmade driftwood treads leading up to a studio/loft/meditation space. 

The property’s additional structures include an ocean-view “tree house” apartment with a kitchenette, living room/dining area, bedroom, bath, and wraparound deck; a “boat house” with a full kitchen, ocean-view living/dining room with a built-in table and porthole windows, a full bath, and a bedroom; and another one-bedroom apartment “nest” with ocean view and stained glass above an indoor/outdoor cabana. 

There is also an open-air living area, deck, and teepee-covered daybed. The property is also home to a three-car garage and additional parking platform, a covered deck, a brick patio, lawn, an outdoor shower, surfboard and other storage areas, steps to the beach.

Malibu expert Chris Cortazzo held the listing along with his colleague Zen Gesner, also with Compass. Dalton Gomez with Christie’s AKG repped the buyer.

Photos by Mike Helfrich, courtesy of marketing materials