Robert W. Gottfried
Robert W. Gottfried (May 15, 1926 – May 26, 2007) was an American home builder, developer and real estate entrepreneur whose signature French Regency-style residences remain sought-after, highly prized addresses in world-famous Palm Beach, Florida.
His client was prominent Chicago industrialist Rudolph W. Glasner, an Austrian immigrant who held patents for his inventions in machine parts for the automotive industry.
According to historian Augustus Mayhew, Gottfried's extensive contribution to the Palm Beach landscape was "...modern interiors designed for conveniences rather than antiques.
Features such as the loggia, library, gallery, butler pantry, silver closet, built-in media and security systems drew buyers also attracted to his distinctive inlaid stone driveways.
In 1973, he built a Georgian mansion designed by architect John Volk, at 1930 S. Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach, as well as contemporary and Tuscan styles.
", she responded "Fashion designer Lisa Perry's house, by the late Palm Beach developer Robert Gottfried, is completely white but punctuated with bold, colorful art.
It's so bright and cheerful that you have to smile when you step inside..."[8] In 1991, when New York financier Gerald Tsai Jr. bought The Reef, an historic Art Deco/Moderne estate at 702 N. County Road, he hired Gottfried to rebuild it.
Designed by Maurice Fatio, the oceanfront compound was all the rage at the 1937 Paris Exhibition, where it won the Gold Medal as the best modern building in the world at that time.
Aware of Gottfried's reputation for sensitivity to all building styles, he engaged the builder in a rare enterprise in Palm Beach—the complete reconstruction of a landmarked structure.
Sited on two-thirds of an acre overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, the two-story home rests on an ancient coral ridge at the highest elevation in Palm Beach.
Pamela Hoffpauer Gottfried continues as a Broker Associate with the firm, and one of her listings is the home she shared with her husband at 748 Hi-Mount Road and is valued at about $19 million as of March 2014.
Featured in a YouTube video, the house has six bedrooms, 11 full bathrooms, four half-baths, marble floors, casement windows, a temperature-controlled wine cellar, a movie theater, billiard room, gym, cabana and grill room overlooking the swimming pool, a concrete "deep water" dock capable of accommodating a large yacht, and a full-house generator.
With formal columns and clerestories above arched windows, the house made a vivid statement when built and continues to draw admirers and prospective buyers.
