This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Schindler-Designed Homes Tour May 18: Window to Quintessential L.A.

One of the things that makes Los Angeles an interesting city architecturally is its eclecticism. An English Tudor house is next to a Spanish Colonial is next to a Craftsman.

But in many ways, what defines L.A. perhaps more than any other style is sleek modernism in its various forms whose roots go back to the early 20th century. And one architect who had a major impact on the development of this style in L.A. was Rudolph M. Schindler.

Fortunately for us, some of Schindler’s work is open to the public on either an ongoing basis or through specially scheduled tours. One such tour is coming up the weekend of May 17-18, and I recommend you take advantage of it. The MAK Center is celebrating its 20th year by offering a tour of a set of exemplary private Schindler-designed houses, including the How House (1925), Elliot House (1930) and more.

Find out what's happening in Santa Monicawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The house-studio he built for himself – located at 835 North Kings Road in West Hollywood – is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

His studio-residence – his first independent design in America (he immigrated from Austria) – was the first modern house to respond to the unique climate of California, and as such it served as the prototype for a distinctly Californian style of design.

Find out what's happening in Santa Monicawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

From 1922 until his death in 1953, the building functioned as both his house and studio. During this 30-year period, Schindler designed the houses and small commercial buildings that today are considered landmarks of the modern movement.

In his own house, Schindler expressed his philosophy about structure and materials most clearly, but the entire site demonstrates his exploration of the relationship of space, light, and form.

In this, Schindler set forth the basic tenets of his architectural philosophy, which he called "Space Architecture." In this masterwork he established himself as a major figure in the history of the modern movement. 

His work, along with the houses of colleague Richard Neutra, established a strong heritage in L.A. and helped to influence the designs of Mid-Century Modernist architects such as John Lautner. Those Mid-Century futuristic designs not only captured the indoor-outdoor lifestyle of Southern California, but helped define the City of Angels as the City of the Future. From the Chemosphere spaceship-like Lautner home built in the late 1950s to Googie architecture to the LAX Theme Restaurant, these structures became quintessentially L.A.

So, go on the tour. Not only will you see great houses, you will get a sense of an important chapter in L.A.’s unique architectural history.

 

Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning architectural and interior design historian, professor and consultant who lectures worldwide on the history of architecture, interiors, furniture, and decorative arts. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?