Setsuo Ito’s former home in the Hamptons hits the auction block

Auctions in the Hamptons are as rare as this house, which was created as a live studio/work and residence by the late Japanese sculptor Setsu Ito.

Built in 1993 and recently renovated, the 12,000-square-foot house—and topped with an open-air steel pyramid—sets one of the highest elevations in the East End, just a few miles north of Water Mill.

it’s a Headed to auction January 24-30 at a reserve price of $2.95 million—well below the last order of $7.99 million.

The six bedroom home sits on 9 acres, with a build-in area. It is being sold at auction for an additional 6 acres. The current owner also bought it at auction, spent more than $1 million on renovations, bought adjacent lots — and now sells at 984 and 984a Noyac Path, Sotheby’s listing broker Angela Boyer-Stomp said.

A two-mile private driveway through a white pine forest overlooking a 300-acre preserve leads to the home, which features an unusually shaped pool, 32-foot pyramid, and deck.

The home includes a foyer, living room, gallery, and dining lounge—plus a chef’s kitchen with white glass floors, custom cabinetry, and an open gas fireplace. There is also a gym and media room. In 1994, it was also the venue for the late rapper Notorious B.I.G Filming the music video for his single “Juicy”. But despite her popularity in hip-hop, she has spent recent years in and out of the market without finding a buyer.

In 1994, in an interview with The New York Times, Ito said he once climbed a hilltop to watch the sunset and liked the place so much—it was also perfect for watching the moonrise—that he bought 15 acres to build his dream home. That was in 1984.

The artist named the house Camp Benno after his pet collie, who was said to have died two days before construction began. “We need a home for shelter and rest,” he said he told The Times. “But I came to the Hamptons to enjoy the country. So I built a house that would push you outside.”

The structure took 10 years to build, as the Southampton Planning Board kept rejecting his plans – so he spent the first few summers camping on the hill. “The final design was a mixture of aesthetic and political considerations,” he told The Times. “The pyramid, the pool, and the main pavilion are all perfect squares of 40 by 40 feet aligned along a north-south axis.”

Regarding the pyramid, he added: “Structurally, it is the strongest form. This is why it belongs at the top of the hill. But when I attach a pyramid, it’s not very interesting to me. becomes vulgar. So I left it open.”