In 1993, Japanese fashion designer Kenzō Takada built the Maison Kenzo in Paris, a serene enclave amid the typical Haussmann-style buildings of the bustling Bastille district. THE four-storey house, almost completely out of sight, is centered around a Japanese garden of bamboo, cherry and maple trees surrounding a rock-strewn stream and koi pond, creating a soothing atmosphere.
The nearly 14,000 square foot home now has entered the market for only the third time since its construction, referenced by Christie’s International Real Estate in collaboration with Belles Demeures de France. When Takada first listed the home in 2007, in a downsizing effort, the asking price was 12 million euros ($17.7 million). A later listing in 2015 showed an asking price of 13.2 million euros ($14 million). Its current asking price, following a complete redesign, is available on request.
Takada, who died in 2020, was a fashion maverick, known for his colorful, free-spirited collections that energized the French capital’s ready-to-wear runways from the 1970s. fashion took place in 1973 when he turned up the volume on the popular peasant style to create what was dubbed the Big Look.
Maison Kenzo in Paris, with an overview of the surrounding Bastille district. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Les Belles Demeures de France.
Its Kenzo brand, acquired by LVMH in 1993 and designed by nigo (creator of Japanese urban clothing line A Bathing Ape) since 2021 – continues to be hailed for its all-encompassing aesthetic and whimsical spirit that merges cross-cultural influences.
After retiring in 1999, Takada continued to produce a variety of luxury products, including a signature fragrance in 2000. He also pursued artistic studies and, in 2010, His paints were the subject of the personal exhibition “Un certain style de vie”. In 2021, Christie’s, in collaboration with Artcurial, organized a sale of nearly 400 lots furniture by Takada, as well as 100 original fashion items from his personal collection.
Interior of Maison Kenzo. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Les Belles Demeures de France.
In addition to his multiple projects, Takada took a keen interest in his Paris hideaway, which lasted seven years as materials had to be imported from Japan. He told the New York Times in 2007 that he was inspired by the Bangkok home of silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson, “where authentic Thai architecture blends with Western elements like a crystal chandelier. That’s what I did… I mixed everything, antiques and contemporary creations, oriental and western furniture and art.
In 2016, Maison Kenzo was purchased by third and current owners Olivier and Isabelle Chouvet, co-founders of The Independents, a collection of marketing agencies that count luxury brands and museums, including MoMA, among their clients. , LACMA and the Metropolitan Museum. of art.
The Chouvets commissioned the famous Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, designer of the national stadium for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Denmark—to renovate Kenzo House in 2018. Kuma Modernization preserved Takada’s vision of an eclectic mix of cultures using traditional Japanese building materials including bamboo, ceramics, stone and wood.
“Transparency is a characteristic of Japanese architecture,” Kuma explained. “I try to use light and natural materials to achieve a new form of transparency…[to] experience nature more deeply and intimately.
Interior of Maison Kenzo in Paris. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Les Belles Demeures de France.
In partnership with architect Loïk Corre of Atelier Kiol, who worked on Takada’s original vision, Kuma left the garden intact, but repositioned the property’s four en-suite bedrooms to face it, characteristic of a Japanese house. Kuma also replaced an indoor lap pool with a Engawaa traditional Japanese wooden lattice outdoor hallway, imparting a warm feeling and tactile quality to the home.
He also made slight changes to the interior, which features French oak shutters, or oblique beams, reminiscent of the triangular shape of the Louvre Museum. He equipped a Japanese pavilion, housing a tea ceremony room, with shoji sliding doors and tatami carpet. Other facilities in the Kenzo house include a music room, an office and three staff studios, as well as two reception rooms, two dining rooms and two kitchens.
Eventually, the architect heard the original owner’s verdict. “I was so happy to hear that Kenzo I loved the renovated house,” he said.
See more views of Kenzo Takada’s former Parisian home below.
The Kenzo House in Paris. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Les Belles Demeures de France.
Interior of Maison Kenzo. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Les Belles Demeures de France.
A view of the Japanese garden in the center of Maison Kenzo. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Les Belles Demeures de France.
Interior of the Kenzo house, with French oak shutters. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Les Belles Demeures de France.
The jacuzzi inside the renovated Maison Kenzo. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Les Belles Demeures de France.
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