{"id":14648,"date":"2025-07-22T04:50:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T04:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/14648\/"},"modified":"2025-07-22T04:50:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T04:50:12","slug":"five-legendary-mid-century-los-angeles-homes-you-can-actually-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/14648\/","title":{"rendered":"Five legendary mid-century Los Angeles homes you can actually visit"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article is part of FT Globetrotter\u2019s new guide to Los Angeles<\/a><\/p>\n

Some of the greatest architects of the 20th century built masterpieces in Los Angeles, but somehow the city is not really known for great architecture. Its most iconic structure, if you can even call it that, is the Hollywood sign.<\/p>\n

Instead of erecting sky-scraping Chryslers or Empire States, architects working in LA saved their innovations for single-family homes. Most of them were nestled in canyons and beach coves, or perched precariously on hillsides \u2014 stunning locations for the residents, but inconvenient for those of us hoping to admire them. Some of the great works of 20th-century architecture are accessible in Los Angeles, however, if you know where to look.<\/p>\n

Visiting these homes has become something of a personal mission for me after the devastating LA fires this past January, when dozens of landmarks and architectural masterworks were destroyed, including the Will Rogers Ranch House, the Pasadena Jewish Temple and three houses designed by the modernist architect Richard Neutra.<\/p>\n

\"RichardRichard Neutra\u2019s Kesler House (as shot here by the American architectural photographer Julius Shulman in 1954) is one of three of the architect\u2019s buildings that were destroyed in the 2025 Los Angeles fires \u00a9 Julius Shulman\/J Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10)<\/p>\n

As the fires raged in the Palisades, I realised that a house that I had always planned to visit was in imminent danger. I\u2019ve never seen the Eames House, I said to myself, worried that I might have missed my chance.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t alone. The fires seem to have prompted many Angelenos to appreciate the city\u2019s architecture anew.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor so many people, architecture and design is just not at the forefront of what you think about when you think about LA,\u201d Sarah Lann, director of education at the Los Angeles Conservancy, told me. \u201cThe fires have been a huge wake-up call for [people] to realise that there\u2019s so much in LA that is of value, that is significant, that is beloved.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"ExteriorThe Eames House at 203 North Chautauqua Boulevard from the outside\u2009.\u2009.\u2009. \u00a9 Joshua White\/\u00a9 Eames Office, LLC. All rights reserved\"Inside.\u2009.\u2009.\u2009and from the inside, featuring the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman \u00a9 Florian B\u00f6hm. \u00a9 Vitra, 2023. \u00a9 Eames Office, LLC. All rights reserved<\/p>\n

Luckily, the Eames House escaped harm. But the fires taught us just how vulnerable these treasures are.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the best architectural homes in Los Angeles. You can tour them all. This list leans heavily on LA\u2019s mid-century modern houses, which I love, and many people hate. Notable for their flat roofs, open floor plans and floor-to-ceiling glass, these houses reflected a distinctly Californian strand of postwar idealism. (The style fell out of fashion for decades but saw a resurgence in the early 2000s, and many of the houses here were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.)<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re not interested in mid-century architecture, don\u2019t worry. LA is filled with other distinct styles, from the roadside \u201cGoogie<\/a>\u201d diners to Frank Gehry\u2019s stunning Walt Disney Concert Hall<\/a> (home of the LA Philharmonic) in Downtown LA. The LA Conservancy offers great walking tours<\/a> of a variety of architectural styles.<\/p>\n

Frank Lloyd Wright\u2019s Hollyhock House4800 Hollywood Boulevard, east hollywood, Los Angeles, CA 90027 \"ExteriorHollyhock House was Frank Lloyd Wright\u2019s first LA project \u00a9 Joshua White\/jwpictures.com<\/p>\n

I became a Frank Lloyd Wright fan at the age of 12, and marvelled at the Guggenheim Museum, his only significant work in New York City, in my 20s. It never dawned on me how many of his works were in Los Angeles until I moved here in 2021, well into middle age.<\/p>\n

Completed in 1921, the Hollyhock House was Frank Lloyd Wright\u2019s first building in LA, and is the only site in LA on the Unesco World Heritage Sites list. It has been described as early Mayan Revival, with inspiration from Aztec and Egyptian architecture \u2014 but Wright called it \u201cCalifornia Romanza\u201d, in reference to a musical term that means \u201cfreedom to make one\u2019s own form\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"TheWith its outdoor-indoor flow, Hollyhock House \u2018helped create the modern ideal of LA living\u2019\u2009 \u00a9 Joshua White\/jwpictures.com\"Hollyhock\u2019s\u2009Hollyhock\u2019s dining room \u00a9 Joshua White\/jwpictures.com<\/p>\n

This house helped create the modern ideal of LA living: its stunning indoor living spaces flow seamlessly into its outdoor gardens for maximum enjoyment of the southern California climate. The idea was spread by other architects working in southern California, including Rudolph Schindler (see below), a Wright prot\u00e9g\u00e9.\u00a0If you can\u2019t go in person, you can explore Hollyhock House by virtual tour<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Visiting: Open Thursday-Saturday, 11am-4pm. Tickets are $12 ($6 for students and seniors). There are self-guided tours; advance tickets recommended. Website<\/a>; Directions<\/a><\/p>\n

FYI: If you look closely from the grounds of Hollyhock, you can see the Ennis House<\/a> on the opposite hillside, below the Griffith Observatory. It\u2019s now a private residence, and not open for tourists. But you can catch glimpses of it in films like Blade Runner, Rush Hour and Mulholland Drive.<\/p>\n

Rudolph Schindler\u2019s Schindler House835 N Kings Road, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA 90069\"The\u2018Considered by some to be the world\u2019s first modernist house, it is a radical place\u2019: Schindler House \u00a9 Tag Christof\/MAK Center for Art and Architecture<\/p>\n

The Schindler House is not just a landmark piece of modern architecture \u2014 it is also a monument to LA\u2019s avant-garde in the 1920s and 1930s. Considered by some to be the world\u2019s first modernist house, it is a radical place; the ideas behind its design, which were woven into the Schindlers\u2019 bohemian lifestyle, would seep into and help define California culture.<\/p>\n

\"ASchindler designed the house as a communal living space for his wife and another couple \u00a9 Tag Christof\/MAK Center for Art and Architecture\"ExternalThe architect aimed to bring indoors and outdoors together in the house, creating what he termed \u2018a real California scheme\u2019 \u00a9 Tag Christof\/MAK Center for Art and Architecture<\/p>\n

Rudolph Schindler designed this concrete-walled house in 1921 as a communal living space for his wife, the writer Pauline Gibling Schindler, and another couple named Clyde and Marain Chace. He created four rooms, one for each person to \u201cexpress his or her individuality\u201d, a shared kitchen, a bath and two porches on the roof, where they slept in outdoor \u201csleeping baskets\u201d. The home quickly became a clubhouse for nonconformists: modern dance was performed in the nude, and famous artists of the period often came to hang out, such as composer John Cage, Schindler\u2019s mentor Frank Lloyd Wright, painter Galka Scheyer and novelist Upton Sinclair. Today, it\u2019s part an experimental, multidisciplinary centre for art and architecture called MAK.<\/p>\n

Schindler wanted to bring indoors and outdoors together in this house, resulting in what he called \u201ca real California scheme\u201d. This makes sense when you see the warm redwood ceilings and glass sliding doors, now commonplace in houses in California and around the world. <\/p>\n

Visiting: Open Wednesday-Sunday, 11am-6pm. Tickets are $10 ($7 for students and seniors). Advance booking recommended. Website<\/a>; Directions<\/a><\/p>\n

Charles and Ray Eames\u2019s Eames House and Studio203 Chautauqua Blvd, Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA 90272\"ExteriorThe Eames House and Studio \u2014 aka Case Study #8 \u2014 as photographed by Julius Shulman in 1950, shortly after its construction \u00a9 Julius Shulman\/J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10) <\/p>\n

Besides being an architectural masterpiece, the Eames House and Studio is a shrine to the creativity, drive and restless imagination of the couple who designed and lived in it. It is both a work of art and a place where art was made.<\/p>\n

In the 1940s, the famous husband-and-wife design duo Charles and Ray Eames, best known for their moulded plywood chairs, designed this house in response to an idealistic prompt. In a famous programme called \u201cCase Study Homes\u201d, Art & Architecture magazine asked designers to envision and create low-cost, modern homes to help ease the housing shortage expected after the second world war. The couple built this, Case Study #8, moved into it in 1949, used part of it as their secondary studio and lived there until they died.<\/p>\n

I was allowed to tour the Eames House six months after the fires, while it was still closed. Though I recognised it from the photographs, being physically surrounded by everything the couple had created and collected was quite moving. I immediately noticed the narrow wooden ladder that reaches the top of the living room ceiling. This was a practical tool<\/a> for Charles and Ray Eames, who were always hanging new paintings or objects from the rafters.<\/p>\n

The ladder had another function too, their granddaughter, Lucia Dewey Atwood told me (she\u2019s also on the board of the Charles & Ray Eames Foundation). \u201cThe purpose of the ladder was to draw your eye up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Eameses\u2019 living room, complete with the ladder they placed to hang artworks from the rafters and draw the eye up the room \u00a9 Chris Mottalini\/Eames Office, LLC. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

Everywhere you look are objects that Charles and Ray collected \u2014 shells, nuts, a fan made of feathers, little sculptures they found in India \u2014 all arranged carefully on every available surface. There are two wooden stools carved to look like leopards (the great film director Billy Wilder traded them to the Eameses in exchange for an Alexander Calder sculpture). \u201cThe things in this space were meant to encourage conversation,\u201d Atwood said.<\/p>\n

The one object that never changed is a tumbleweed<\/a> hanging from the ceiling<\/a>. The newly-wed couple found it on their honeymoon road trip from Chicago to California in 1941. It has been decaying over the years; they asked that a family member replace it with another when it finally disintegrates.<\/p>\n

Of the 25 houses built through this programme, the Eames was considered one of the most successful. They built it of prefabricated steel beams and glass panels, with sliding walls between rooms and a double-height, light-filled living room that they often rearranged to show off their new furniture designs. Their studio and home were separated by a patio, both set on the steep bluff overlooking the ocean, tucked in among eucalyptus trees. <\/p>\n

The studio is finally open to tour again since the fires.<\/p>\n

Visiting: Currently, the Eames House is open to visitors by appointment only (the Foundation had to spend time cleaning flame retardants off the house and grounds). To secure your preferred date, they recommend you schedule at least 10 days in advance by contacting info@eamesfoundation.org<\/a>. Website<\/a>; Directions<\/a><\/p>\n

FYI: There are three more Case Study Houses on this bluff (the Entenza House, designed by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen, the West House by architect Rodney Walker and the Bailey House by Richard Neutra). They are private residences and not available to tour, but you can catch glimpses of them on your way<\/p>\n

Richard Neutra\u2019s VDL Studio and Residences2300 Silver Lake Boulevard, Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA 90039\"ExteriorThe house\u2019s windows, exterior doors and pools \u2018let trees, clouds and light reflect throughout the space\u2019 \u00a9 Elizabeth Carababas<\/p>\n

This compact house, which sits across from the Silver Lake reservoir, served as the home and office of pioneering Austrian-American architect Richard Neutra for decades. But during my visit, I got the feeling it was also a nice place for a party. Its open, window-lined rooms offer sweeping views of the reservoir, it has 12 doors that lead to outdoor spaces \u2014 and the patios are lovely.<\/p>\n

My hunch, it turns out, was right. Built in 1932, the house was a social centre for the architectural world. Neutra and his wife Dione were known for hosting dinner parties with other architects, scientists, artists and intellectuals. <\/p>\n

\"ABuilt in the 1930s by Richard Neutra, as his home and as a showcase for his theories\u2009.\u2009.\u2009. \u00a9 Elizabeth Carababas\"External.\u2009.\u2009.\u2009the compact VDL house was also \u2018a social centre for the architectural world\u2019 \u00a9 Elizabeth Carababas<\/p>\n

The house made Neutra\u2019s case that limited space did not mean a home had to be uncomfortable. Its windows, exterior doors and many water-filled pools let trees, clouds and light reflect throughout the space.<\/p>\n

Most of the house was burnt in a 1963 fire, so Neutra and his architect son Dion rebuilt most of it over the next three years.\u00a0Because of that, it is unique in that it represents multiple periods of the famous architect\u2019s career.<\/p>\n

Visiting: Tours are held on Saturdays, 11am-3pm. Advance bookings only. Tickets are $15 ($10 for seniors, students and faculty, free for kids under 15). Website<\/a>; Directions<\/a><\/p>\n

Pierre Koenig\u2019s Stahl House1635 Woods Drive, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA 90069\"PierreOne of Julius Shulman\u2019s photographs of Pierre Koenig\u2019s Stahl House, 1960 \u00a9 Julius Shulman\/J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10) <\/p>\n

The Stahl House is what we think of when we think of an LA mid-century modern house: a Hollywood Hills fantasy, floating high above the LA Basin with glass walls on three sides, a swimming pool at its heart and an impossible view of the city below. It has been featured in countless films, fashion shoots and music videos.<\/p>\n

\"DetailThe house\u2019s owner, Buck Stahl, wanted a view from every room in the property \u00a9 Peter Thomas\"TheThe pool at the heart of Stahl House \u00a9 Peter Thomas<\/p>\n

The Stahl House was also a part of the Case Study programme (#22) and was completed in 1960 by architect Pierre Koenig for a former professional football player named Buck Stahl and his wife Carlotta. Stahl, as the story goes, wanted a view in every room, including the shower. He wanted to stand in one place and see the whole view just by turning his head. <\/p>\n

The house is small, but its L-shaped plan has just two walls that aren\u2019t glass, making the whole thing practically see-through. It was made most famous by a remarkable set of photographs<\/a> by Julius Shulman, which reflected the optimism of California living in the decades after the war.<\/p>\n

Visiting: Tickets from $60 for one person in one car; $35 each for two or more people in one car (age 10 and older). Advance booking required. Tours are typically offered on Wednesdays, Saturdays and two Fridays per month. Website<\/a>; Directions<\/a><\/p>\n

We\u2019d love to hear about your favourite architecture in Los Angeles \u2014 and the buildings that don\u2019t do it for you \u2014 in the comments below. <\/p>\n

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