A high-profile name has emerged as the buyer of the Razor House, an architectural masterpiece on the coast of La Jolla: Alicia Keys.

The singer-songwriter shelled out $20.8 million for the striking estate, according to people not authorized to comment on the sale. That’s the priciest deal in the coastal community this year.

A cutting-edge blend of concrete and glass, the jagged, sweeping structure listed last summer for $30 million before a price cut took it down to $24.995 million. It was built by architect Wallace E. Cunningham, who designed the three-story structure to match the dramatic landscape that surrounds it.

Employing a cantilevered base, the modernist home hugs the side of a cliff and takes in sweeping ocean views.


1 / 15 The exterior. (Gary Kasl) 2 / 15 The jagged exterior. (Gary Kasl) 3 / 15 The rounded living room. (Gary Kasl) 4 / 15 The living room. (Gary Kasl) 5 / 15 The great room with a fireplace. (Gary Kasl) 6 / 15 The lofted lounge. (Gary Kasl) 7 / 15 One of the master suites. (Gary Kasl) 8 / 15 A second-story bedroom. (Gary Kasl) 9 / 15 One of the master bedrooms. (Gary Kasl) 10 / 15 The courtyard. (Gary Kasl) 11 / 15 The central courtyard. (Gary Kasl) 12 / 15 The infinity-edge pool. (Gary Kasl) 13 / 15 The pool’s view of the ocean. (Gary Kasl) 14 / 15 The exterior. (Gary Kasl) 15 / 15 The subterranean garage. (Gary Kasl)

Highlights are aplenty. There’s a subterranean garage and a series of geometric terraces up above — including a scenic entertainer’s deck with a swimming pool and outdoor kitchen.

The entire structure wraps around a custom courtyard. Perhaps the home’s most stunning space, it features a collection of concrete monoliths around a turf lawn and fire pit.

Inside are touches of white concrete, stainless steel, stone and walnut across 11,545 square feet. Walls of glass line the living spaces, which include a two-story great room, rounded living room, billiards room, library, tiered movie theater and two kitchens.


The upper levels, accessed by a sweeping, floating staircase, boast a lofted lounge and two master suites. There are four bedrooms in total, and the 1,300-square-foot detached guesthouse adds two more.

Josh and Matt Altman of Douglas Elliman held the listing. The Altmans also represented Keys along with Douglas Elliman’s Stephen Sweeney.

Keys, 38, has won 15 Grammys over the course of a career that has seen her release six studio albums and sell more than 65 million records. Her hits include “Fallin,’” “No One” and “If I Ain’t Got You.”