(004) J Balvin's Exceptional Level of Taste
The Colombian design god I didn't know I needed
As it turns out, J Balvin is a man directly after my own design heart. Misled by his technicolour hair, I enjoy nothing more than being totally surprised at discovering a layer of someone that isn’t immediately congruent with their outward appearance. As Balvin himself explains:
One thing is the way I express myself as an artist, the other one is the way my soul expresses itself. This is my soul here. I’m not about flexing. When I come back home, my soul rests. It’s not about showing off, it’s about creating something with nature. Like everything in life, the simple things are the most amazing.
J Balvin’s taste is good. Like really good, in fact, expressed not only through his sanctuary-like homes in Colombia but also the fact that his NY residence is the penthouse of one of my favourite residential properties of all time by Zaha Hadid.
Heavily influenced by Japanese aesthetics, I discovered his latest house Casa Aire in Medellín today along with the world class Colombian studio Balvin works with, Cinco Sólidos, who have honed themselves towards his taste through working on his office and primary property Casa dos Aguas prior. Word on the street is that Balvin is also moving into hotels and lending his skills and passion for design to other celebrities.
He knows what’s up through and through, and his new house is no exception. One of the reasons I’m so obsessed with it is because he’s managed to marry a few different aesthetics while keeping the overall vibe entirely cohesive: Japanese Zen, Brutalism and a hint of postmodernism.
I’m truly blown away by the understated beauty, tranquility and level of precision with which these houses have been crafted, and the intense clarity of Balvin’s vision. The influence of Japanese architect Tadao Ando reveals itself to me, and the development of Japanese spatial principles which differ vastly from Western notions which are much more literal and concerned with physical space. In Japan, space begins with the relationships between people and manifests in four different ways: wa, ba, tokoro and ma.
Particularly prominent in Casa Aire is the concept of ma, the need to create breaks or absences, almost like semi colons that let us harmonise differences. To incorporate ma into a design strategy is to create pockets of awareness and quiet where contrast can be reconciled. I gravitate to what some might call a “Pomo Brutalism” where the rawness of concrete is softened with subtle colour integrations and light wood, curved shapes that are decorative vs functional and despite the house being very open plan, the crafting of spaces within spaces, creating mystery and intimacy.
I respect the past, because it taught us how not to fuck things up in the future, but my views are always in the future. [You’ve got to think about 100 years before and 100 years after.] So that’s how you create a fucking cool place, going and taking that energy from the past and taking it into the future — J Balvin
Highlights
✦ The full series of photos of Casa Aire to check out the bathrooms, the basketball court, the sunset views and interior decoration details
✦ The gorgeous office Vibraslab by Cinco Sólidos for J Balvin. Scroll to see how it looks in dark mode — no wonder his music is hot
✦ A tour of J Balvin’s primary home, Casa dos Aguas with Architectural Digest
✦ The full series of photos of Casa dos Aguas with a stunning walk in closet and living room with exceptional book shelving
✦ The bed frames in Balvin’s homes remind me of LA studio Waka Waka’s creative bed frames with incorporated storage and varied elevations
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