Producers Chris Hanley and Roberta Hanley are known for their innovative film projects, such as “American Psycho” and Sofia Coppola’s directorial debut, “The Virgin Suicides.” Before pursuing a film career, Chris Hanley worked in the art field, selling works of luminaries such as the late artist Andy Warhol and the late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
When it came time for the Hanley couple to design the house, they wanted something out of the box. The Hanley family collaborated with architect Tomas Orsinski to design the landmark “Invisible House” in Joshua Tree National Park (California, USA). This architectural icon was launched on the real estate market for 18 million USD earlier this year.
The house is a surreal, box-like structure, with glass walls reflecting the desert landscape. Photo: Chris Hanley.
Inspired by the classic science fiction film “2001: A Space Odyssey”, this house is a mirrored box measuring more than 510 square meters. The most notable feature of the rectangular house is undoubtedly its mirrored exterior. It is this unique element that gives this property the name “Invisible House”, reflecting the surrounding landscape and seemingly blending into the landscape, making the house seem to disappear.
The heat-reflecting Solarcool glass gives the home a unique look, keeping the interior temperate despite the harsh desert weather, while also filtering out harmful UV rays. The environmentally friendly foam roof and solar power system make the house a sustainable model.
Sharing with the Wall Street Journal, Chris Hanley said the cost of buying glass to build the house was nearly 700,000 USD (equivalent to 17 billion VND).
The house has an indoor swimming pool that stretches nearly half the length of the house. Photo: Brian Ashby.
Once inside, large floor-to-ceiling windows further blur the distinction between indoors and out. This unique structure is cantilevered at a height of about 30 meters and faces west so those inside can experience the full desert sunset.
One of Matt Adamo’s (real estate listing agent from AKG – Christie’s International Realty) favorite things about the house is the sun setting in the master bedroom. “You could stay there all day and see the house light up in different ways from the perspective of the sun and the stars.”
The invisible house has a swimming pool more than 30 meters long, stretching the width of the living room. According to Supercar Blondie, this swimming pool stretches nearly half the length of the house. Besides the swimming pool, the house also has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
Bedroom A of the house. Photo: Brian Ashby.
“Bringing the Invisible House to market for the first time is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” shared Matt Adamo. He also added that the highest price ever achieved for a house in Joshua Tree is 3.5 million USD (equivalent to 85.3 billion VND).
The real estate agent has received many calls since the house appeared on the market. Much of the attention comes from potential buyers interested in the home as an investment property.
The kitchen has marble countertops with Italian-designed low cabinets, but no overhead cabinets to block panoramic views. Photo: Brian Ashby.
Matt Adamo added that potential U.S. buyers received more interest than from international buyers, as Americans better understood the cultural appeal of Joshua Tree’s remote desert landscape. Meanwhile, international buyers are more interested in properties closer to the bright lights of Los Angeles, a 2-3 hour drive from Joshua Tree.
“In 2021, this house generated a total revenue of more than 1.4 million USD (equivalent to 34.1 billion VND),” Matt Adamo shared with CNBC.
If you want to experience staying inside this house, you can book a rental but need “deep pockets”. Forbes magazine said the house is both a filming location and a luxury accommodation on Airbnb with nightly prices ranging from 2,500-6,000 (equivalent to 61-147 million VND).
The house is invisible at night. Chris Hanley.
Built in 2019, the Invisible House has hosted star singers such as Lizzo, Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd, and has appeared in the Netflix series “The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals”.