Muse La Jolla: Cast-in-place modernism

A premier Pacific Ocean-front property designed in the 1960s by famed modernist Ladd & Kelsey, Muse La Jolla has been meticulously restored and converted into 16 multimillion-dollar units for international home collectors. The architect is credited with dozens of notable modernist projects throughout southern California, including what is now the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, and the California Institute for the Arts, Valencia.

A real estate developer specializing in creative adaptation and re-imagining of prime urban properties, San Diego-based Hammer Ventures recognized the four-story, reinforced concrete structure as a rare and special investment opportunity, billing it as a one-of-a-kind property of prestigious architectural pedigree and exceptional modernist design. Following two years of extensive renovation and restoration work, Muse La Jolla features one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans that take full advantage of the site’s Pacific Ocean and La Jolla Village views. Units feature soaring 10- to 12-ft. ceilings, wide-open and airy floor plans with large gallery walls, plus expansive stacking slider window walls.

“Muse La Jolla offers buyers a rare opportunity to live in the epicenter of one of the West Coast’s most prestigious and sought-after coastal communities, steps from world-class dining, shopping, and surfing,” says Jon Hammer, president of Hammer Ventures. “The property was already a timeless architectural masterpiece. Now, it’s also an elegant showcase of luxurious interior design and a piece of California modernist history that people can call home.”

The Muse La Jolla renovation preserves the integrity of the architects’ original modernist vision, he adds, while elevating the property to meet the expectations of modern luxury home buyers and collectors from around the globe. Assisting Hammer Ventures in the project were AVRP Skyport Studios and Matrix Design.www.muselajolla.com