Archinect - News

Sam Lubell on what's new at Lautner's Sheats-Goldstein House

2024-03-27T17:04:00-04:00

Goldstein and his team of architects, builders, engineers and landscape designers have been working on the Lautner house addition since 2003, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Goldstein’s property, which he has been tinkering with for more than 50 years. [...] “The purpose of all of this was to make the inside feel like it was outside,” said Goldstein, who describes a very collaborative working relationship with Lautner until the architect’s death, at 83, in 1994.

Sam Lubell examines half a century of renovations of and recent additions to James Goldstein's compound surrounding the famed John Lautner-designed Sheats-Goldstein Residence in Los Angeles.

Big kudos to the Times for referencing Lautner’s 1960 (now-demolished) Concannon House with a link to our 2012 feature story "Lautner's Concannon Residence, from Dust to Dust" by Archinect senior contributing writer Orhan Ayyüce.

John Lautner's Wolff Residence sells for $5.9 million to Hearst family heiress

2020-03-16T10:39:00-04:00

Amanda Hearst, a great-granddaughter of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, and her husband, filmmaker Joachim Rønning, have purchased the Wolff House in Hollywood Hills West for $5.9 million.

Previously listed for $6.5 million, the Wolff Residence, designed by John Lautner, was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2006. Stone, glass, and copper materials accentuate Lautner's design ethos to connect architecture to the surrounding landscape. Completed in 1961, the 1,700 square foot home sits above the Sunset Strip with panoramic views of the city.

John Lautner's Wolff Residence lists for $6.5 million

2019-12-16T17:08:00-05:00

Built in 1961, John Lautner's Hollywood Hills Wolff Residence is up for sale, with a $6.5 million asking price. Reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, Lautner drew inspiration from the work of his mentor.

In 2006, the structure was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. The listing is currently held by George Salazar and Berkshire Hathaway's Tilsia Acosta.

Happy Birthday John Lautner! To celebrate, here are 10 projects photographed by Julius Shulman

2019-07-16T19:45:00-04:00

John Lautner's influential architectural legacy is hard to miss. Some of his works, like the Elrod House in Palm Springs or the Chemosphere in the Hollywood Hills, have been depicted in blockbuster Hollywood movies. Other projects, however, live on as humble—and not so humble—structures, fulfilling the uses they were originally designed for. Either way, Lautner’s legacy remains a fixture of American architecture.

Over time, Lautner's projects, each one, a pinnacle of spatial design, material, and detail, have become synonymous with Los Angeles, Googie Architecture, and Mid-Century Modernism, overall. Today, in celebration of his 108th posthumous birthday, Archinect has collected beautiful photographs by Julius Shulman of some of John Lautner’s works from across the decades, thanks to the Getty Research Institute’s Digital Catalog—Take a look!

Desert Hot Springs Motel (Desert Hot Springs, CA) 1947. Image courtesy of © J. Paul Getty Trust, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles.

Desert ...

For the first time in 69 years, John Lautner's Sherman Oaks house is on the market

2019-07-16T13:44:00-04:00

One of Frank Lloyd Wright's most notable disciples, John Lautner made a distinct impact in California, specifically in Los Angeles. Known for his residential works, Lautner's exploration of space and material echoes Wright's organic architectural influence. The eye-catching curvilinear Louise Foster House, for example, considered to be one of Lautner's earliest commissioned works, resembles the David and Gladys Wright House, an elevated, circular home Wright completed for his son in 1952.

The 1,200-square-foot Foster House, complete with a redwood-clad exterior and a grand sunburst ceiling showcasing a tantalizing wood finish, is currently for sale.

Image © Junwan Li/Courtesy of Compass

A perfect getaway for someone looking to escape the busy city, the house sits on a 5,556-square-foot lot.

The two-story home has gone through some renovations over the years. According to usmodernist.org, Lautner decided to t...

John Lautner's Bob Hope House gets a new lease on life

2019-06-06T14:06:00-04:00

Thanks to the deep pockets of venture capitalist Ron Burkle, the [Bob Hope House] is being remade to reflect the architect’s original vision. Lautner protégé Helena Arahuete, who worked with him for 23 years, has stripped the interiors and rebuilt the inside with natural materials. Swan faucets, wallpaper and carpet are out. Quartzite flooring, African mahogany and Brazilian granite are in — as is the shape-shifting light that transforms the house during the course of the day.

Comedian Bob Hope, when presented with a model of his 24,000 square foot Palm Springs home by architect John Lautner in 1969, had but one comment to reflect his admiration of and bewilderment towards the proposal: “Well, at least when they come down from Mars they’ll know where to go.”

Exterior of the Bob Hope House.

The monumental home was built as conceived, albeit with an extraordinary amount of minor material revisions requested by Hope and his wife Dolores. While Lautner and Arthur Elrod, the interior designer originally hired for the job before his untimely death, had envisioned a minimalist interior to direct attention to the home's sweeping vistas, the couple had something different in mind. According to the LA Times, "Dolores Hope wanted an ultra-glamorous interior suitable for Hollywood-style entertaining and golf tournament after-parties."

Interior of Bob Hope House.

After the couple had passed - Bob in 2003 and Dolores in 2011 - the house was put on the market for $50 mil...

Designer Trina Turk turns 'forgotten' John Lautner house into midcentury jewel box

2017-06-07T18:42:00-04:00

News of the “long-lost” Lautner echoed around Los Angeles and the world. The architecture community marveled at how a home designed by a modernist genius could go unnoticed for decades. [...] Somehow, the Salkin Residence, which was completed around the same time as more acclaimed Lautner projects like the Desert Hot Springs Motel, was left out of the architect’s list of works when it was assembled by his devotees years later.

The NY Times portraits the 'long-lost' John Lautner-designed Salkin Residence, built in 1948 in LA's Echo Park neighborhood and, over the last three years, painstakingly restored to renewed beauty by designer/business woman Trina Turk and her husband, Jonathan Skow.

Lautner's Sheats-Goldstein house is to be donated to LACMA

2016-02-17T12:08:00-05:00

I want the house to be an educational tool for young architects, and I want to inspire good architecture for Los Angeles - James Goldstein

In a most generous move, public in Los Angeles is assured to have access to a masterpiece designed by legendary architect and maintained by its colorful owner Jim Goldstein who dedicated a good part of his living to the healthy survival of the house.

"Even though he had the Concannon Residence torn down, to his credit, James Goldstein made sure in his will that the expanded Goldstein House, and with that the legacy of both structures, will never be sold. The compound could very well become a publicly accessible cultural treasure for the entire city." - Lautner's Concannon Residence, from Dust to Dust

Previously:

John Lautner hits the silver screen

2015-12-30T17:34:00-05:00

The 1990 documentary "The Spirit in Architecture: John Lautner" screens in Beverly Hills on January 2, and it includes not only dramatic images of the buildings, but also interviews and insights from the builders, owners, and the architect himself.

Like the fine wine of architecture, the work of John Lautner only gets better with age. Whether experienced in exhibition form (the Hammer Museum's 2008 show was a marvelous introduction for those unfamiliar with his canon) to documentary film, Lautner's fearless yet elegant exploration of space and material continues to captivate decades after his death in 1994. What better way to start off 2016?

Architecture in fashion design

2015-08-20T17:01:00-04:00

Although fashion magnate Tom Ford does not make much of the fact that he studied architecture at Parsons The New School for Design, that early influence can still be felt in his body of work, as it can with Daniel DuGoff, an architectural alum of Washington University in St. Louis turned fashionista who has recently been attracting press attention for his technically exquisite yet stylish clothing line DDUGOFF. However, the industry has also been venturing into other traditionally architectural realms. In May, the Shining 3D Fashion Show Design Contest invited participants to submit 3D printed clothing options:

The aesthetic structural sensibility of fashion, while obviously existing in a different material realm, shares much with the most visually engaging and relevant architecture.

This structural appreciation extends beyond clothing into film. When Tom Ford directed the adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's "A Single Man," he had the principal character live in John Lautner's Schaf...

John Lautner's Silvertop home to list for $7.5 Million

2014-08-12T14:41:00-04:00

It has been the setting for music videos, TV commercials and scenes from the '80s movie "Less Than Zero." Now, the unusual Los Angeles home by influential architect John Lautner is slated to go on the market for $7.5 million. Known as Silvertop, the house has a striking design: It is made up of a series of interlocking half-circles, with a massive, arched concrete roof over the living room.

Can't get enough of that good Lautner stuff? Read Orhan Ayyüce's tale of the Concannon Residence.

Editor's Picks #306

2013-03-12T12:30:00-04:00

For the latest edition of the ShowCase feature, Archinect published the Hotel Wiesergut a complex renovation and extension by by GOGL ARCHITEKTEN, located in Hinterglemm/Salzburger Land, Austria. FRaC thought "those cold roofs are hot!"

News
Over at the financial times Emma Jacobs chatted with Zaha Hadid an "Unlikely ‘pushover’ who doesn’t play safe". In response Donna Sink commented "I wouldn't work for free, but I'd be happy to be bullied by Zaha for a short term. Like a wilderness survival camp-type vacation" but GiaCarbello replied "Diplomacy aside. Donna Sink. Wow. Your comment is as low as Hadids and Schumachers lame comments regarding their inexcusable behavior. They have an idea in their heads that ‘uncompromising standards’ is the reasons being for such behaviour. Hadid had to fight her way to the top because of a male dominated industry and forgot along the way to find a balance. Self integrity and self respect at lost".

However Apurimac argued "For christ's sa...

Bob Hope Estate in Palm Springs Is Up for Sale (for $50m)

2013-03-08T13:43:00-05:00

The huge Palm Springs estate of Bob Hope, the comic icon of midcentury film and television, and his wife, Dolores, is being brought to market for the first time this month, at an asking price of $50 million. Perched high in the exclusive Southridge community, with panoramic views of the Coachella Valley, including the city of Palm Springs and the San Jacinto Mountains, the 23,366-square-foot home was designed in 1973 by the California Modernist architect John Lautner.

Editor's Picks #273

2012-07-15T11:00:00-04:00

Rusty Shackleford quipped "I wonder what the realtor spin will be with these units... ‘Japan style luxury!’ ‘MINI COOPER with plumbing! Going fast!’ ...I lived once in 275sg.ft. place in NYC. A more appropriate name for this housing type would be JAIL." KarjaCH countered "if properly designed with great attention paid to detail, 300 sf can be the most amazing place to live". Meanwhile hanque helpfully pointed out "if you look at the RFP they've already been designed."

Archinect’s latest project featured in the Showcase series is the House in Ovar, Portugal, by architect, Paula Santos.

News
NYC launched the adAPT NYC Competition, a pilot program to develop a new housing model for the City’s growing small-household population. adAPT NYC seeks to create additional choices within New York City’s housing market to accommodate the city’s changing demographics. The focus being on developing new proposals for a rental building composed primarily, or completely, of micro-units -- apartments smaller than what is allowed under current regulations.

Rusty Shackleford quipped "I wonder what the realtor spin will be with these units... ‘Japan style luxury!’ ‘MINI COOPER with plumbing! Going fast!’ ...I lived once in 275sg.ft. place in NYC. A more appropriate name for this housing type would be JAIL." KarjaCH countered "if properly designed with great attention paid to detail, 300 sf can be the most amazing place to live. I spent a year in a 275 sq ft ...

James Goldstein responds to Orhan's Concannon article

2012-07-11T14:01:00-04:00

Dear Mr. Ayyuce, I have read your article regarding the destruction of the Lautner Concannon residence and would like to set the record straight. Prior to my purchase and demolition of the Concannon Residence, I had extensive discussions with John Lautner regarding his feelings about the home. He was 100% in favor of the demolition of the Concannon Residence...

The venerable James Goldstein, collector of John Lautner treasures, past and present, responds to Orhan's feature article Lautner's Concannon Residence, from Dust to Dust. Jump down to the comments to read, along with Orhan's thoughtful reply back to him.

Interview Magazine on James Goldstein, owner of Lautner's Goldstein House

2012-05-07T15:05:00-04:00

My business cards say FASHION ARCHITECTURE BASKETBALL. When people ask me what I do, they’re usually trying to ask how I made my money, not what my job is. In my mind, what I do is those three things. They occupy most of my time: fashion, going around to all the fashion weeks and being such a fanatic when I pick out my clothes, trying to be in the latest fashions. Architecture, which you can see here, with this house. And basketball, which is another full-time occupation for me.

Interview Magazine does its thing with James Goldstein, owner of John Lautner-designed Goldstein residence.

John Lautner: The mirror of Los Angeles

2011-07-23T23:05:50-04:00

The architect's lengthy struggle with L.A. resulted in great buildings that give us insight into our city. Like Lautner, Los Angeles shouldn't need to look over its shoulder to know when we're doing it right.

John Lautner (1911-1994) Turns 100

2011-05-11T13:38:30-04:00

The John Lautner Foundation is pleased to present the John Lautner Turns 100 series this July 16-November 13, 2011. In celebration of what would have been John Lautner’s 100th birthday on July 16, 2011, the series will showcase Lautner’s extraordinary body of work while informing and inspiring the public about the importance of preserving it.