Getty heir selling Greco-Roman 'Temple of Wings' villa for $5M
Getty sells Temple of Wings Villa
BERKELEY, Calif. - A home nestled in the Berkeley hills dubbed the "Temple of Wings" and owned by the Getty family has hit the housing market, carrying a price tag of $5 million.
The home is over a century old, but its iconic features take you back further in time, with its Greco-Roman architecture.
Located at 2800 Buena Vista Way, the "extraordinarily iconic" villa is divided into north and south wings. It boasts views of the San Francisco and Oakland Skylines, including the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges.
It was initially built in 1914 and designed by "legendary" architect Bernard Maybeck and rebuilt 10 years later when a fire ripped through the villa, sparing its Corinthian pillars.
Gordon Getty, the fourth child of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, and his wife Ann bought the "Temple of Wings" in 1994 and restored it.
Described as "exquisite" and "elegant," the home comes with three bedrooms and two full and half bathrooms respectively, spread across nearly 4,000 square feet on a lot sprawling over 16,000 feet.
Additionally, it has a library and den, eight balconies, multiple entertaining spaces, and three-car driveway parking.
Gardens grow in the southern and eastern parts of the villa.
"From the twinkling lights of the skylines to the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean, all magically framed by the surrounding park-like setting," the listing reads.
Other amenities include a wet bar, powder rooms, and spa-like baths.
When built, the "Temple of Wings" brought more truth to Berkeley’s former reputation as the "Athens of the West," according to the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association.
The villa is also considered a historic landmark in the state’s Historic Resources Inventory.