See ‘Temple of Wings’ Roman-type villa where modern dancing soared. NorCal home to ask $5M
A matchless architectural masterpiece called “Temple of Wings” in Berkeley, California, showcases elements of classical Greek and Roman architecture and a dramatic façade highlighted by 16 towering Corinthian columns leading from an entertainment pavilion to surrounding lush gardens.
Owned by billionaire Gordon Getty, the son of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, the villa is heading to market for $5 million, according to real estate firm Coldwell Banker.
The three-bedroom, four-bathroom historical landmark spans 3,991 square feet on nearly .40 acres. Among the other spaces within the residence are two powder rooms, two entertaining spaces, a library and den and eight balconies.
“Overlooking the SF Bay, its magnificent entertaining pavilion served as a stage for generations of dance students taught by renowned dancer Isadora Duncan,” according to the MLS property description. “As you arrive you feel as if you’ve been transported to another time and place. The grand, wisteria-covered columns perfectly frame the exterior.”
Duncan, born in California, was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance who performed to critical acclaim throughout the United States and Europe.
The Roman-style villa was designed in 1911 by architect Bernard Maybeck, and completed by A. Randolph Moore, according to Coldwell Banker. The residence was rebuilt in 1924 after a fire.
Historic property
The property is listed in the California State Historic Resources Inventory. It’s also known as Berkeley Historic Landmark No. 173.
Listing agent Joel Goodrich of Coldwell Banker Realty offered his three favorite things about the property, located at 2800 Buena Vista Way.
“The extraordinarily iconic architecture — Bernard Maybeck was truly one of the legendary ‘starchitects;’ the incredible park-like setting (and) the one-of-a-kind views over the San Francisco Bay Area, from the Oakland and San Francisco skylines to the Bay and Golden Gate bridges and beyond,” he said in an email to the Sacramento Bee.
Adrienne Krumins and Anian Pettit Tunney of The Grubb Company are co-listing agents with Goodrich.
A charming hedge-lined, cobblestone driveway with old Parisian-style lamp posts leads up to the estate, where lush landscaping and lawns unfold in front.
The entryway features a double stone staircase that leads to the grand semicircular entertaining pavilion.
The house is divided into two wings, with the north wing showcasing an open-floor concept, dining and entertaining spaces, as well as original beam ceilings and frescoes. The kitchen has beautiful marble counters and high-end appliances. A primary suite upstairs is highlighted by a stone tub next to a fireplace and balconies with views.
Across the entertainment pavilion is the south wing, which spotlights a grand living room with a classical fireplace, stone and shell flooring and vanishing glass doors, two bedrooms with bay and garden views and a patio and garden. There’s a wet bar and two additional bedrooms upstairs.
‘Painstakingly restored’
The house was originally designed for Charles C. Boynton, an attorney, and his wife, artist and educator Florence Treadwell Boynton, the Wall Street Journal reported. For years, Florence educated Berkeley children at the house in the theories and techniques of Duncan, the renowned choreographer who was a childhood friend, according to Christies.
Gordon Getty and his wife, Ann, have owned the villa since 1994.
Ann Getty “painstakingly restored and furnished (Temple of Wings) with fine and decorative arts that honour the rich eclecticism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Christies reported.
“It’s pretty unique and must take a certain buyer to appreciate,” Goodrich told The Bee. “I think there are several possible pools of buyers — possibly a buyer who would like to showcase an art and/or sculpture collection, someone who would like a super-cool space or have a unique living experience, or it could be someone who truly appreciates architecture and wants to preserve it for the next century.”
“Although it is time to move on, the Temple of Wings will always represent a quiet place where beauty has time to rest before blooming,” Getty said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal.
