More than two years after the townhouse was listed — and six months since his death — Thierry Despont’s Tribeca home is finally being sold.
An anonymous buyer is under contract to purchase the townhouse at 182 Franklin Street, Crain’s reported. A deal hasn’t been finalized yet, but the last asking price on the property was $19.5 million.
The renowned architect, who died at age 75 in August, listed the property in 2021 for $25 million. Despont had a quarter-century of ownership under his belt at the time, buying it for $750,000 in 1995.
The 10,000-square-foot home has four bedrooms. The primary suite spans the entire third floor and includes a marble bathroom, dressing room and closet. The other bedrooms have their own suites with full bathrooms and kitchenettes. The 21-foot-wide townhouse also has three gas fireplaces and two wine cellars.
Despont used the back of the first floor as an art studio for painting and sculpting, which can be converted into a media room or playroom. Douglas Elliman’s Rueben Schatz, who had the listing, has pitched the idea of a swimming pool for the area.
Despont lent his hand to numerous iconic projects, serving as an associate architect for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. He also designed and restored New York City’s Woolworth Building and 220 Central Park South. More recently, he designed Casa Cipriani in Lower Manhattan.
Other projects of his included a renovated $75 million mansion in London’s Kensington Palace Gardens, an East Hampton mansion once owned by Calvin Klein, and galleries of Los Angeles’ Getty Museum.
Despont’s 34-acre property in Southampton was relisted late last year for $20 million. Despont had previously listed the Hamptons estate for $23.5 million, but didn’t find any takers. Despont acquired the three contiguous parcels between 2011 and 2013 for $8.5 million.
— Holden Walter-Warner
