If Gatsby Lived in Florida

Architect Raphael Portuondo designs a $21.495M North Pinecrest estate drawing from Gaudí, Horta, Guimard, and Piazza Navona — layered Art Nouveau references in a South Florida grand arrival.

Some American houses are designed not simply to welcome you, but to receive you — with careful attention to your arrival, your movement through the rooms, and the impression you take with you. The North Pinecrest estate designed by architect Raphael Portuondo, now listed at $21.495 million, is that kind of house. Set on nearly two private acres in South Florida, it begins with grand entry gates, a two-hundred-foot private drive, and a 107-foot water feature anchored by Triton sculptures inspired by Rome's Piazza Navona. The arrival sequence is not incidental. It is the first act of a residence conceived entirely around the theatre of living.

The architectural references are specific and layered. The renowned Macklowe Gallery on New York's Upper East Side, Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta, and French Art Nouveau architect Hector Guimard all informed the design — a genealogy that expresses itself throughout the house in the quality of its ornamental vocabulary and the seriousness of its material choices. A magnificent staircase inspired by France's Château du Grand-Lucé commands the entry foyer. The first level is floored in custom Catalan concrete sourced from Spain and designed to resemble the work of Antoni Gaudí. Upstairs, Italian quarter-sawn herringbone white oak continues the material precision, while doors and balcony railings incorporate steel leaves and chestnuts salvaged from a demolished Art Nouveau home in Milan."If The Great Gatsby lived in Florida, this sprawling estate would undoubtedly be his address — a property conceived for unforgettable entertaining, remarkable arrivals, and impeccable craftsmanship at every turn."

The chef's kitchen pairs Carrara marble countertops and backsplash with vaulted ceilings, custom white oak cabinetry, a custom French range in aqua, and premium brass fixtures alongside Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances. Grand formal living spaces include a ballroom and a wine cellar. The primary suite offers private terraces and a spa-inspired bath. The entire residence is crowned by a ten-inch-thick concrete roof — a structural decision that communicates the same commitment to quality and durability that runs through every other material choice in the building.

If The Great Gatsby lived in Florida, the estate says, this would undoubtedly be his address. It is a claim the building supports, entirely, on its own terms.

Key takeaways

• Architect Raphael Portuondo drew on a precise Art Nouveau genealogy — the Macklowe Gallery, Victor Horta, Hector Guimard, and the Château du Grand-Lucé — translating those references into Catalan concrete floors designed to resemble Gaudí's work, steel leaves and chestnuts salvaged from a demolished Milanese Art Nouveau building, and a commanding entry staircase that establishes the home's cinematic ambition from the first step.
• Material selection is meticulous throughout: Carrara marble countertops and backsplash, custom white oak cabinetry, Italian quarter-sawn herringbone oak floors, a custom aqua French range, premium brass fixtures, and a ten-inch-thick concrete roof — each choice communicating a commitment to craft and durability that aligns the house with the architectural traditions it references.
• The estate's programmatic ambition matches its material register: a 107-foot Piazza Navona-inspired water feature anchors the arrival, a ballroom and wine cellar serve the entertaining sequence, twenty-one Canary Island date palms and formal French gardens frame the sixty-foot heated pool, and a separate 1,250-square-foot structure provides a gym with provisions for future kitchen and bath — a private destination conceived entirely around the theatre of living.