Vista Equity founder Robert F. Smith is the buyer of the Getty Building penthouse. The property is an interesting choice for what could be the billionaire’s regular residence in Manhattan. The mixed-use building in Chelsea is very much a boutique co-op, with just eight units throughout its twelve stories giving it an intimate feel for a high-rise, and its in-house art museum and education center giving it an unusual sense of identity and relevance. It is regarded as one of the more beautiful recent new builds in Manhattan.
The Getty takes its name from the gas station it supplanted at the corner of West 24th Street and 10th Avenue. It was about two years in the making, and was designed by architect Peter Marino. The fashion-minded Marino is also the mastermind of the Vuitton boutique in SoHo. Marino sees buildings and their interiors as informing each other in the most acute manner.
The exterior of the Getty is marked by strident lines—lots of planar intersection, but also an irregularity that gives it an unusually contemporary visual appeal in relation to its landscape that, unlike other flashy high-rises, doesn’t seem to brashly or rashly belittle the elder statesmen that occupy the landscape with it.
Photos of the penthouse are not available at this time. But we can tell you that it features panoramic views and a private pool, and that it extends across two floors to encompass about 10,000 square feet. A lower-level floor is part of the property, presumably to be be used as an office space.
Smith’s business acumen prompted Forbes to list him last year as among the ‘100 greatest living business minds.’ He founded Vista Equity Partners in 2000, and currently has a net worth in the neighborhood of $4.4 billion.
