While Charleston, South Carolina might be known for its charming historic architecture, one of the city's most unique mansions is for sale for more than $4.995 million.
Dubbed the "Eye of the Storm," the domed home, located on Sullivan's Island in Charleston, just 230 feet from the beach, was designed to withstand deadly hurricanes. It's the brain child of George Paul, a designer and builder of dome structures, who erected the house for his parents after they lost their summer home to category 5 Hugo in 1989. The architect of the home was X Dilling, who lives in the Charleston area.
For the first time ever, the dome home is listed for sale, Patero Group confirms to CNBC Make It.
Built in 1992, the house is encased by a white shell that is monolithic (meaning there's no separate roof) and thermospheric (meaning it's energy efficient).
The side of the shell that faces the beach features large, glass windows inset from the dome shell, with views of the water and sandy shores as well as a maritime forest.
The house has 3,571 square feet of space on the main floors, including three bedrooms and four full bathrooms.
"The interior design, inspired by the curves of shells found on the beach, leads the eyes through the Great Room to every custom and thoughtfully planned area in the home," its website states.
Eye of the Storm also has an elevator, a wet bar, a skylight, an 889-square-foot deck and even a bank vault room.
The design represents "home as sculpture" and "peace of mind," Michael Royal, the listing broker and nephew of George Paul, tells CNBC Make It. "But mostly, it is — just 20 minutes from downtown Charleston — a front-row seat in a spectacular show of nature on one of the Lowcounty's most beautiful beaches, starting every morning with sunrise over the Atlantic."
There's also 526 square feet of ground-floor space in the home, with an enclosed storage room, a bathroom and two shower rooms. The Eye of the Storm is made of concrete and steel and weighs an estimated 650 tons (that's 1.3 million pounds).
Currently, there's an Instagram contest featuring the home; the first real estate licensee to correctly predict who will buy the home is eligible to win up to $50,000.
Cameran Eubanks Wimberly, a real estate agent and star of Bravo's "Southern Charm," which takes place in Charleston, recently showcased the house on her Instagram.
"This futuristic design was constructed to withstand a category 4 hurricane and give owners total peace of mind," she wrote on the post. "The views from almost 900 sqft of deck space are incredible. I have always called it the 'Star Wars' House."
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