Known for designing buildings in geometric, modernist style, and for his generous use of white, Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier is responsible for residential, cultural and commercial towers around the globe, including the Getty Center in Los Angeles, and 165 Charles Street and Perry Street Condominiums in New York, favorites among celebrities for years.
Among the projects recently completed by Richard Meier & Partners, the New York- and Los Angeles-based firm he started in 1963, are City Green Court in Prague; Leblon Offices in Rio de Janeiro; Seamarq Hotel in Gangneung, South Korea; and the Rothschild Tower in Tel Aviv.
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The firm is currently working on residential buildings in Taiwan, Florida, and private residences in Europe, Asia and North America.
And Waterline Square, a collection of three starchitect-designed towers on Manhattan’s far west side, will feature one building designed by Mr. Meier, 83.
We caught up with him to discuss the value of waterfront property anywhere in the world, why you should take the real estate plunge, and more.
Mansion Global: Describe your dream property.
Richard Meier: I’d describe it as my house in East Hampton. It borders a 20-acre field that’s owned by the Nature Conservancy. So when I sit outside on the porch and I look out, I don’t see anything but nature in front of me. There’s a great deal of privacy.
MG: Do you have a real estate property that got away?
RM: I just remembered something—I own a small property not far from my house that’s on Georgica Pond, and when I bought it from the owner I only had money for the one property even though there was one next door for sale, too. I put down a deposit for the second, adjacent property, but there was a time limit, and someone else picked it up. I’d have liked to have them both.
MG: What does luxury mean to you?
RM: Luxury means high quality. Whatever the property is, whatever the building is, it has an unusual quality to it. It may have to do with the quality of finishes, the scale of the spaces, the height of the ceilings. To some degree it has to do with location. I don’t think you can build a true luxury home anywhere.
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MG: What area do you think is the next hub for luxury properties?
RM: Along the waterfront in the West Village is a very desirable area. You have the piers and the park right there. Kids can play safely at the piers. Next to living somewhere around Central Park, that’s the area I would think of as the next—or maybe even current—luxury hub.
MG: What’s the biggest surprise in the luxury real estate market now?
RM: The prices— it’s just unbelievable. Anywhere where there’s luxury real estate, the prices keep going up and up.
MG: Where are the best luxury homes in the world and why?
RM: I don’t think there’s one place; there are so many places. It just depends on where you want to be. If you want to be in Provence, that’s one thing. If you want to be in Los Angeles, that’s another. Manhattan, another. There are luxury properties everywhere in the world.
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MG: What’s your favorite part of your home?
RM: I have an open living room, which also has my study. It’s an L-shaped space, with the living/dining one space and my desk/work space part of it. I spend a lot of time there.
MG: What best describes the theme to your home and why?
RM: White, like all of my buildings. I’m sitting in my kitchen right now, and I would say it has to be repainted, but it is, indeed, white.
MG: Most valuable thing in your home?
RM: I guess it’s the picture of my granddaughter that’s right on my desk.
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MG: What’s the most valuable amenity to have in a home right now?
RM: Everyone wants the most space they can afford. That’s why I think lofts are very popular, because they’re open and it costs less, relatively speaking, than a built-out apartment.
MG: What’s your best piece of real estate advice?
RM: If you see something that you want, buy it now, because there’s no question that it’s going to be worth more.
MG: What is the best area now for investing in luxury properties?
RM: Anything on the water—anywhere. You have that openness, the change of light reflected off the water. If you’re going to invest in a luxury property, I would think about finding one on the water.
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MG: If you had a choice of living in a new development or a prime resale property, which would you choose and why?
RM: Generally, a resale property and then I’d redo it myself. The first thing I’d do is paint it all white.
The vegetation and the landscaping would be more mature in a resale property. In a new development, you’re not going to get the same trees on your property.
You can find a very high-quality resale property, too, you just have to be more careful when buying it.