I was so pleased to receive a special news this morning from dean Michael Woo and would like to share an excerpt with the readers.

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Steve and Marion Dodge have pledged a $3 million bequest gift to Cal Poly Pomona, the College of Environmental Design which includes their home, the Schrage House designed by Raphael Soriano, one of the giants of mid-century modern architecture in Los Angeles.

Completed in the early 1950s, the Schrage House was described by David Gebhard and Robert Winter in their Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles as “a one-story International Style design in plywood, glass, and steel.  Soriano at his best.”  Located  only a few lots south of the southern boundary of Griffith Park, the house is a stunning example of the best work of one of the leading architects of his time.  Since becoming the owners of the house in 1987, the Dodges have painstakingly restored the house to its original condition.  It is one of only two examples of Soriano’s work in the 1940s and 50s which can be seen in the form originally intended by the architect.

Soriano is a key link between the first generation of California modern architects (Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler, with whom he worked in his early years) and the younger post-war generation such as Pierre Koenig and Craig Ellwood, both of whom worked for Soriano.  Soriano’s influence on the future generation of California architects is clearly reflected in this remembrance by Frank Gehry:

"I was casting about, trying to find out what to be when I grew up, and I was attracted to art.  During my time [in a ceramics class at USC taught by Glen Lukens, Lukens] was deeply involved in building a wonderful house by architect Raphael Soriano.  Some intuition of Glen’s led him to invite me to the building site one day, and he introduced me to Soriano.  There he was, black beret, black shirt, black tie, sort of broken-nosed ruddy face.  He was directing construction with great authority.  I was terribly moved by this image.  I found myself intrigued with the work of Soriano and the idea of architecture.  I think that it was Glen’s hunch that this would happen."

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