In Mexico’s San Miguel de Allende, a Ricardo Legorreta-Designed Home Asks $6.995 Million

If it sold for that price, the roughly 8,000-square-foot house would set a price record for the city, which is a Unesco World Heritage siteLink to Article: https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/in-mexicos-san-miguel-de-allende-a-ricardo-legorreta-designed-home-asks-6-995-million-01675805887

If it sold for that price, the roughly 8,000-square-foot house would set a price record for the city, which is a Unesco World Heritage site

A Mexico home by the late Modernist architect Ricardo Legorreta is coming on the market for $6.995 million, according to listing agent Greg Gunter of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Colonial Homes San Miguel.

The three-bedroom, roughly 8,000-square-foot home could set a record for the city of San Miguel de Allende, a UNESCO World Heritage site in central Mexico, said Mr. Gunter, who said the current record for the city is about $5.5 million.

The London-based sellers, retired art dealer James Kirkman and his wife, retired art conservator Clare Kirkman, are longtime fans of Mr. Legorreta’s work, Mr. Kirkman said. After meeting the architect through friends, they were surprised when he agreed to build a house for them, Mr. Kirkman said. They bought the land in San Miguel de Allende around 2002, and the house was finished around 2005, said Mr. Kirkman. Mr. Legorreta also designed the home’s furniture and spherical sculptures on the patio and roof, which are included in the asking price, Mr. Gunter said.

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Mr. Kirkman said he doesn’t remember the cost of the land or construction, but that it was less than he expected.

Constructed from stucco, terracotta, wood and split-face stone, the home has a courtyard with water features and colonnade walls. Inside, living and dining areas open directly to private gardens and outdoor terraces. The primary bedroom suite has a library, a balcony and a marble bathroom, said Mr. Gunter. The rooftop terrace has an art studio where Mr. Kirkman likes to paint, and views of a well-known neo-Gothic church. The roughly 0.4 acre lot has a pool and a covered dining terrace with a wood-burning fireplace, said Mr. Gunter.

At Mr. Kirkman’s request, Mr. Legorreta even designated places where art should be hung in the house, said Mr. Kirkman.

“When we were moving in, we said, ‘You’d better come and see what and where we’re hanging things because we don’t want to spoil the walls.’ So he came, and he was keen to be involved,” said Mr. Kirkman, adding, “We’ve kept it exactly as he wanted.”

Since then, they have refrained from making changes to the house, he said. The Kirkmans spent winters at the house, organizing charitable events and hosting friends. Now in their 80s, they are selling because they plan to simplify their lives, said Mr. Kirkman, who said they have two homes in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Legorreta, who was born in Mexico City, died in 2011, according to his firm’s website. He worked primarily in commercial real estate, designing offices for IBM and hotels for the Camino Real hotel chain, but built several homes, including the Los Angeles residence of “The Matrix” producer Joel Silver, currently listed for $52 million.

Mr. Legorreta’s son, Víctor Legorreta, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

San Miguel de Allende saw about three luxury sales a month in 2021 and 2022, up from about one a month before the pandemic, said Mr. Gunter.