One can only assume that quick-witted Daily Show host Trevor Noah likes big, flashy modern-style homes, and has at least a guarded appreciation of the Bel-Air lifestyle too. The last notable residential acquisition the comedian closed on was a boxy, atmospheric, open-air, 10,000 sq. ft. $20.5 million beauty in the storied neighborhood, which he owned for a little less than two years before selling it for about a million over purchase.

Noah spent a little time toward the end of 2020 signing papers and forking over $27.5 million to take ownership of this 11,000 sq. ft. modern. The 2014-built house sits on a hillside lot and is nicely framed in green—with some quick-grow ivy gracing it in back here and there to help integrate it into its setting—and opens toward the city via the banks of glass you’d expect in a home of this style.

The home’s massing is extraordinarily expressive, and gives the living style a certain element of exploration which, one imagines, would be quite resilient to familiarity. The view from the motor court is of four ponderous rectangular shapes combining into a sculptural whole, with the front entrance a little glimmer of transparency that suggests the possibilities waiting to blossom within.

The interiors are thankfully free of the material odyssey that marks many high-end homes of this ilk, the Joneses-besting trophy flourishes that accumulate into a fatiguingly unfocused series of surfaces and patterns. The wide-plank hardwood is finished in what looks to be a stain, bringing a naturalistic fundamental to the interiors that is both substantial and comforting, and the open library waiting at the top of the staircase is a marvelous indication of purpose and progress that is echoed by the majestic, gnarled ancient of a tree standing sentry outside the glass wall.

There’s the usual litany of high-end amenities, of course, including a screening room and a master with an attached sitting room that’s finished in soft warm textures. The outdoor living area meanders along with very good views as a backdrop, a zero-edge pool, and covered and uncovered spaces with a fire lounge and a wet bar, along the way.

Noah was the fourth-highest paid comedian in the world in 2019, according to Forbes. His earnings added up to $28 million. According to Variety, when the pandemic began taking hold last spring, Noah started personally paying the salaries of his furloughed Daily Show crew members until production resumed.