2024-05-21T04:16:54-04:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150313260/iconic-los-angeles-home-designer-harry-gesner-has-passed-away-at-the-age-of-97 Josh Niland 2022-06-14T16:41:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/c3/c3902609d22ad51d5fff5dbc08c2fef8.png?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Los Angeles&rsquo; architectural community is mourning the death of a legendary figure in its storied history of residential design after reports that Wave House architect Harry Gesner passed away Friday, June 10 at his Malibu home following a battle with cancer.</p> <p>Best-known as the designer of several important residential commissions such as the <a href="http://colehousesunset.com/" target="_blank">Cole House</a>, the <a href="https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/boat-houses" target="_blank">Hollywood Boathouses,</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/119063983871277042/" target="_blank">Eagle's Watch</a>&nbsp;which helped create a more nuanced visual culture for Southern California.&nbsp;</p> <p>Gesner was a headstrong modernist who broke with certain midcentury conventions in pursuit of his own vision of landscape-derived naturalistic &ldquo;nests&rdquo; that were deliberately more responsive to both environmental elements and the local character.</p> <figure><figure><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/f4/f47ef415b4f590d09bc17c421ba2e45a.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/f4/f47ef415b4f590d09bc17c421ba2e45a.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a><figcaption>An image of Gesner's Eagle Watch home from its current <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/3156442/photos?source_impression_id=p3_1655232765_l8R3ocvQya%2BIZr4W" target="_blank">Airbnb listing</a>. Image courtesy of Airbnb via super host Katherine VandeVoort</figcaption></figure></figure><p>An avid surfer and gregarious regular in Hollywood circles, Gesner rubbed elbows with celebrities like Errol Flynn and is said to have learned to ...</p>