Calvin Klein's Hamptons Teardown

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Feb 16th 2009 at 7:02PM

Fashion designer Calvin Klein has won approval for his ambitious teardown project in the Hamptons. Dragon's Head is a massive rambling home of somewhat dubious distinction in Southampton. It was built by Henry Francis du Pont in 1924 but has been majorly remodeled in not the most tasteful of manners. Newsday reports that the village Architectural Review Board which was asked to check out the home and see if there was anything historical in it worth preserving has decided it doesn't have jurisdiction over the home's interior. The path is now cleared for Klein, who spent around $30 million on the home five years ago, to begin the process of demolition. He is erecting a new modern home of stucco and steel in place of Dragon's Head.

Some have expressed happiness to see the home disappear. Du Pont's original home had been given a ludicrously lavish makeover by financier Barry Turpin. He took a classic Hamptons home and turned it into one of those American castles that some of the rich sometimes amuse themselves by constructing. It now has turrets, towers and all sorts of flourishes which make it stick out like a sore thumb in the area. Klein's more low-slung and understated beach home will likely be a better fit. And yet, on Newday's poll many voted for the option saying that Dragon's Head is beautiful and should be preserved.

Gallery: Celebrity Teardowns