Photo: Christie's International Real Estate (Composite)
Batman is not the type to be envious of the real estate market, since he can count on Bruce Wayne's billions and make his every dream come true. Besides, he is a fictional character. But if Batman/Bruce were real, he would probably feel a pang of jealousy at the sight of the splendid Batcave mansion in Chicago.
Car-centric architecture is not a new concept, although it seems to have gained considerable popularity in recent years. Examples of luxury real estate built around a passion for automotive collectibles are scattered around the world, particularly single-family homes, or mansions, as we mortals would call them. But The Batcave puts a very artistic spin on that concept, while still being a single-family home. Technically, at least.
Of course, The Batcave isn’t the official name of this spectacular place, although it’s a very fitting one. It’s also known online by its nickname, The Batman Warehouse. It started life as a 1922 timber-framed warehouse that was converted into a live-work space a decade ago and was used as such by interior designer Lukas Machnik. If the name Machnik means anything to you, it’s because he’s also a star of the reality show American Dream Builders.
The house, which has also been called the most stunning artistic warehouse conversion in the United States, is located in Chicago's McKinley Park neighborhood. She became a viral sensation earlier this year, but she was a celebrity long before that, appearing in Vogue and GQ, two of the biggest fashion publications around, and in countless music videos.
Photo: Christie's International Real Estate
So what exactly makes The Batcave so appealing to the artsy crowd? The answer is “everything”—from the built-in garage that lets you drive right into the living room to the secret den attached to the master suite, to the vast entertainment space available and multiple dedicated workspaces.
The home spans 687.5 square meters of extremely curated spaces, with three bedrooms and five bathrooms, two kitchens, two formal dining rooms and a garage that can be used as a showroom or an entertainment venue, depending on the occasion.
As far as luxury garages go, this isn't the biggest or most ideally equipped of the lot, just to start off on the right foot. Batman's Batcave would put this one to shame.
Photo: Christie's International Real Estate
But it fits perfectly into the atmosphere of the house, with poured and glazed concrete floors and atmospheric LED lights. It is also large enough to hold two or three cars at once or just one if you want to use the space as a showroom and let your guests admire your most precious car from the comfort of the living room sofas.
The garage itself is large enough to double as an art gallery or an extension of the entertainment space. In its most mundane role, it's just a garage that you can close off from the rest of the house with large sliding doors. But what fun would that be?
The ground floor is dedicated to daytime and nighttime activities, whether it’s grand dinners in the banquet room just off the front door, dinner dancing in the living room, or lounging by the fire pit on the hedged patio just outside. Large works of art line the walls and are scattered around, and there’s an over-reliance on charred wood, industrial metal, glass, and stone in the finishes.
Photo: Christie's International Real Estate
The style is a mix between medieval and art deco, something like a very elegant dungeon that could easily be a home for a modern Batman, with black Venetian plaster and handmade lamps. Most of the furniture and art is black or muted, which doesn't exactly make the family home any more cheerful. Somehow, though, all that black doesn't feel oppressive in a bad way.
The same goes for the upstairs bedroom, although the dungeon vibes are less pronounced, meaning there are some plush white rugs and couches with all the blacks and sharp angles. The master bedroom has a hidden den, which is essentially an oversized sitting room that overlooks the living room and could be transformed into a second bedroom or repurposed as a private movie theater with its own bathroom.
There are also several offices and art studios on both floors, so the home offers a great balance between work and play for any art lover who purchases it.
Photo: Christie's International Real Estate
The Batcave mansion sits on a large plot of land and enjoys complete privacy due to its location among other warehouses and because it is surrounded by high walls, fences and hedges. It is not self-sufficient like the mega-mansions designed as luxury resorts that cater to your every whim and need, so that you may never have to leave if you don't want to. But it is certainly a more striking and artistic alternative, also cheaper, since it asks for “only” 2.5 million dollars.
