Kanye West’s $53 Million Malibu Mansion Marked Down By $14 Million After He Gutted Home To Make It Like A ‘Bomb Shelter’

Kanye West has raised eyebrows with the dramatic destruction of his $53 million Malibu beachfront property, originally designed by acclaimed Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

West purchased the modernist mansion in September 2021. The once-stunning glass and concrete structure, completed by Ando in 2013, now stands as a gutted shell above the Pacific coastline, its value plummeting by $14 million due to the extensive alterations.

West ordered the windows, electrical fixtures and HVAC system to be removed. Expensive wooden cabinets and marble bathroom walls were demolished, leaving behind what workers describe as a clean aesthetic per West’s instructions.

According to an interview with The New Yorker, West told a laborer during the demolition that he envisioned the stripped-down property as his personal “bomb shelter” and “Batcave.” The rapper, alongside his wife Bianca Censori, who holds an architecture degree from the University of Melbourne, has spearheaded radical changes to the home’s design.

A team of laborers from New Jersey was brought in to carry out the demolition, which included removing staircases, dismantling luxury features and installing unconventional elements like a foam slide. One worker, identified only as Saxon, described the grueling process to The New Yorker, citing the building’s robust construction as a particular challenge.

“There was so much rebar in the concrete. It was absolutely brutal,” Saxon said, detailing long work days that often led to him sleeping on-site and subsisting on energy bars and caffeinated beverages.

The project has been subject to controversy. West fought with his contractor and laborers, with one worker walking off the job after refusing to alter the ocean-facing windows. The incident allegedly led to a confrontation where West threatened to end their professional relationship.

West’s interest in architecture is well-documented. The artist has previously met with notable figures in the field and even references Ando in his music. 

The rapper now lives in an apartment with no security or a chef, according to his ex-Kim Kardashian.