Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Things have been quiet over at Palazzo Chupi, Julian Schnabel’s pink West Village castle that was once the talk of the neighborhood — preservationist Andrew Berman called it “an exploded Malibu Barbie house,” and neighbors, vexed by the Palazzo’s height and (not very West Village) neo-Mediterranean style, protested its construction, marching with signs that read, “No More Monuments to Greed.” But after two decades of Frankenmansions and billionaire bunkers like Steve Cohen’s 30,000-square-foot municipal-style megamansion, the pink boutique condo, which the artist designed with beadboard walls, green tile floors, and Stonehenge-inspired fireplaces, has aged into acceptance, affection even. The last we heard, the building’s five spacious, terrace-bedecked apartments were being quietly enjoyed by Schnabel, his art-dealer son Vito, a Credit Suisse banker, and a few other rich guys. The last sale at the Palazzo was 15 years ago.
One of the very not-generic spaces for the rent: Note the taxidermy bear and double pianos.
Photo: Courtesy of Hush Events
Now a tipster has alerted us to the fact that three floors are being rented out as an events space by Hush — “a dynamic creative concept that bridges the gap between luxury real estate and opportunities for bespoke events + activations,” according to its website. “We’re thrilled to welcome a truly one-of-a-kind New York space opening its doors to events for the first time ever,” the email advertising Palazzo Chupo’s new incarnation reads. You can, Hush says, rent out all three floors together or individually, for “select private events, subject to approval.”
A library room with what appears to be Schnabel’s Picasso knockoff.
Photo: Courtesy of Hush Events/Scout’s Honor Locations in c/o James Ives
Based on the paintings on the walls, the paint cans on the floors, the lavish and eccentric décor (chandeliers, huge sculptures, what appears to be a taxidermied bear), and the view of neighboring townhouses from the windows, we guessed the for-rent space belongs to the Schnabels. Hush confirmed that it was Julian’s studio space in the original part of the building — he and Vito also have private residences there. (As of 2016, Vito was occupying a duplex at Chupi.) The vast rooms on offer have a lot more personality than most event spaces, with brick walls, harlequin-tile floors, a library full of art books, and what appears to be Schnabel’s Picasso knockoff, which he told the New York Times he painted one day “just to see if I could.”
Great for a wedding or luxury-brand launch.
Photo: Courtesy of Hush Events/Scout’s Honor Locations in c/o James Ives
Really, it’s not so surprising that the Schnabel compound would be offered up as a venue. The artist has always been up-front about his desire to monetize his real-estate holdings, much like fellow West Village artist/real-estate investor Annie Leibovitz. The painter made the move to build atop the brick horse stable where he kept his studio shortly before the neighborhood’s zoning changed in 2005, limiting the height of new construction to 75 feet. (Chupi, at 170 feet, is more than twice that.) “I built it because I wanted more space, and because I thought I could sell two or three apartments to pay for that space, and I built it because I could,” Schnabel told the Times in 2008. But despite a breezy start — Schnabel said he sketched out the design in 15 minutes — the project ended up costing more and selling for less than Schnabel had hoped. Construction costs were, Schnabel said at the time, “a lot” — he had to auction off a (real) Picasso painting to pay for them — and the timing of its debut, in the midst of the financial crisis, wasn’t great. Prices were slashed, units were listed for rent, Richard Gere bought but never moved in. But it all worked out in the end, as condo developments in highly sought-after neighborhoods often do. And now those who can afford it (it’s unclear how much the space will rent for, but it’s safe to assume it’s a lot) — and pass approval — can brag about having their wedding at Palazzo Chupi.
Beadboard and exposed beams are featured in many rooms.
Photo: Courtesy of Hush Events/Scout’s Honor Locations in c/o James Ives