Just off the Pacific Coast Highway, architectural designer Scott Mitchell devises a strikingly streamlined oceanside showplace for real-estate ace Kurt Rappaport
Spread out over six acres on a majestic bluff overlooking the ocean, this extraordinary residence occupies a world of its own, far removed from the humble beach shacks and stately manses packed cheek by jowl along other stretches of the Pacific Coast Highway. After turning off that celebrated thoroughfare, toward the water, one descends a gently sloping drive through a landscape dotted with freestanding concrete pillars that ease the transition from exhaust fumes to Eden. The pageantry of the entry procession makes it feel as if one has arrived at a modernist Luxor—think Cecil B. DeMille by way of Louis Kahn.

The house itself—a long, linear expanse nestled discreetly into the hillside and facing the sea—barely reveals itself to the street. (Sodded green roofs further that mission.) A masterful composition of intersecting planes and volumes, the structure marries the gravitas of concrete piers and walls with the lightness of glass. Floors and ceilings of white oak coupled with antique granite pavers in outdoor areas lend texture and warmth to the starkly modern scheme. The architectural language of the 15,000-square-foot residence, which encompasses a sweeping living room, a master suite with a luxurious bathroom worthy of Hollywood royalty, a wing of bedrooms for Rappaport’s children, and a basement with a game room and a home theater, is reiterated in an adjacent pavilion containing two guest suites. Outside, the 168-foot-long infinity pool is said to be the longest residential swimming pool in California. Set into the lush lawn and sheathed in black granite tile, it resembles the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey tipped onto its side and stretched—it’s a knockout.

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