Rudolph Schindler: Bennati Cabin (Lake Arrowhead, Calif.)
The distinctive A-frame shape of the Gisela Bennati cabin is possibly one of the earliest uses of the style as a residence in the United States. The steeply pitched roof is a very good choice for the Lake Arrowhead region, since the lake is at a high elevation which receives many inches of heavy, wet snow each winter. The shape helps to shed snow while providing walls of windows to look out on the view.
R. M. Schindler papers, Architecture & Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Architecture & Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. University of California Regents.
Rudolph Schindler: Neighborhood Center (Chicago, Ill.)
In 1914, the Chicago Architectural Club held a competition to design a neighborhood civic complex. This was Schindler's entry, featuring a very clean lines and a rectilinear plan.
Carleton Winslow: Los Angeles Central Library (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The Los Angeles Central Library was one of Bertram Goodhue's final projects, which he was working on when he died in 1924. Winslow took over and finished the project in 1926. The early Art Deco building featured Egyptian friezes and inscriptions on the exterior, as well as large murals and metalwork on the interior. The building was threatened with demolition in the 1960s, but a large public outcry saved the building. It was expanded in 1983, and is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Landmark, and on the National Register of Historic Places.
Carleton Winslow, architect Bertram Goodhue, architect Mott Studios, photographer Lee Lawrie, sculptor
Carleton Monroe Winslow Sr. papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Carleton Winslow: Valley Club (Montecito, Calif.)
The Valley Club is a golf course originally designed by renown course designers Alister MacKenzie and Robert Hunter and the American Golf Course Construction Company. The main club building featured a main dining room, men's and women's lounges, as well as locker rooms, and support facilities for the kitchen and staff. It is still used today as a premier golf and country club.
Carleton Winslow: Chapman Park Hotel (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Winslow altered the Chapman Park Hotel and Bungalows, which were located on Wilshire Boulevard, in 1936. The hotel had been in business since the early 1900s, and Winslow added details to make the walled garden with bungalow cottages feel more like a Mexican village with white stucco walls and red tile roofs. The Hotel was located along the rapidly expanding Wilshire Boulevard, near the Ambassador Hotel, Bullocks Wilshire department store, and the Brown Derby restaurant. The hotel was demolished in the 1960s to make way for an office building.
Carleton Winslow, architect Mott Studios, photographer Loomis and Fisher, photographer
Carleton Winslow: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History was designed in a Spanish Colonial Revival style and built along the banks of Mission Creek, just a few blocks from the Santa Barbara Mission. Winslow designed a series of buildings interconnected with covered walkways, courtyards, decorative fountains, and red tile roofs.
Carleton Winslow: Bliss house (Montecito, Calif.)
The Bliss house was one of Winslow's largest private commissions. The 80 room mansion for William and Anna Dorinda Bliss, at the corner of Olive Mill and Hot Springs Roads in Montecito, was to be their summer residence. The 45 acre estate, named Casa Dorinda, contained the main house, servant's quarters, garages, various outbuildings, and extensive gardens. The Bliss' were quite wealthy and they hosted many large parties, including for European royalty. After Anna Bliss died in 1935, her daughter inherited the property and allowed the Navy to use it as a hospital during World War Two. It subsequently became a boarding school, then in the 1970s, a retirement communnity.
Carleton Winslow: Panama-California Exposition (San Diego, Calif.)
The Panama-California Exposition opened in 1915 in Balboa Park, San Diego, as a celebration of the opening and of the Panama Canal a few years prior. The Expo originally picked architect John Galen Howard to design the site, but due to his unavailability, Bertram Goodhue was chosen, along with local architect Irving Gill. Carleton Winslow was working in the Goodhue office in New York, and was called out to replace Gill in 1911. The Spanish Colonial Revival and Churrigueresque style buildings designed by Goodhue and Winslow set the architectural style for the exposition. While some of the structures built for the Expo were designed to be temporary, others were to be permanent and are still in use today in Balboa Park.
Carleton Winslow, architect Bertram Goodhue, architect Harold Taylor, photographer
Robert Stacy-Judd: Monroe house (Lake Sherwood, Calif,.)
The small community of Lake Sherwood is situated in the mountains of Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles. The man-made lake and surrounding forest land was used in the 1922 filming of Robin Hood, and as the setting for many subsequent movies. The house designed by Stacy-Judd for Neal Monroe contains many of his signature "Mayan" influences. With triangular windows, ornamental landscaping, and ornate interior details, this is one of Stacy-Judds' larger and most expensive private home commissions.
Robert Stacy-Judd, architect Donald Biddle Keyes, photographer
Robert Stacy-Judd papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara
Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara
Robert Stacy-Judd: Merrick & Ruddick housing project (San Fernando Valley, Calif.)
As the population of the Los Angeles region grew in the early 1920s, developers purchased land that was formerly ranches to turn into housing developments. Merrick & Ruddick developed the San Fernando Valley area, and asked Stacy-Judd to design and build houses for speculation and for their clients. Most of the houses in the Hollywood Foothill subdivision near Ventura Boulevard were in the Spanish Revival or traditional styles. But some were designed in the Pueblo Revival style that Stacy-Judd made famous.
Robert Stacy-Judd, architect Johnson, photographer
Robert Stacy-Judd: La Jolla Beach and Yacht Club (La Jolla, Calif.)
The La Jolla Beach and Yacht Club was a large-scale commission for Stacy-Judd after his success with the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia. For the Club, he created a more subdued theme, with triangular shaped window openings, adobe-style exterior walls, and arched doorways. The main Club building was 200 feet long, with a covered promenade stretching the length of the building, and a 1000 foot sea wall protected the building from high tide. The interior of the building featured exposed wood beams, arched doorways leading into lounges, a dining room, kitchen, Club offices, and dressing rooms for Club members.
Robert Stacy-Judd, architect R.H. Stone, photographer
Robert Stacy-Judd: Krotona Institute of Theosophy (Ojai, Calif.)
Theosophy was a religion that began in the United States in the late 1800s as a mix of esoteric Spiritualism, occult influences, and adaptation various Asian religions. The Krotona Institute started in the Beechwood Canyon area of Los Angeles in 1912, and included structures designed by Mead and Requa, and Arthur and Alfred Heinemen. By 1924, the Los Angeles area had become too crowded, and the Krotona Institute moved to Ojai, a small town about 75 miles northwest. Robert Stacy-Judd was commissioned to build a large number of buildings including an administration building, library, lecture hall, and bungalows for the members. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style with white stucco walls and red tile roofs, the buildings blended in with the overarching style of the town of Ojai.
Robert Stacy-Judd: First Baptist Church (Ventura, Calif.)
This church building is widely regarded as one of the premier examples of Mayan Revival style architecture. It was declared a city landmark in 1975, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The exterior steeple is stepped up with Stacy-Judd's signature triangle shaped accents and windows, which create a sense of verticality to the structure. The architect noted on the bottom of the photograph, "First ecclesiastic example utilizing Ancient Mayan Art Motifs." Stacy-Judd was very much a showman, and was married in the church in 1931.
Robert Stacy-Judd: Carey house (Hollywood, Calif.)
The Carey house is a fascinating study of architectural vision versus reality. The rendering of the house is in the "Mayan" style, reminiscent of Stacy-Judd's Aztec Hotel. The photographs of the completed house show a much more subdued and modest Pueblo style stucco-covered abode.
Robert Stacy-Judd: Atwater bungalows (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The pair of bungalows for Dr. H. Gale Atwater were part of a larger swath of land owned by Atwater along Avon Park Terrace, adjacent to Elysian Park. Atwater had previously built another "Hopi-style" house on the property, and commissioned Stacy-Judd to build two bungalows in the same style. Now referred to as Pueblo-style, the rough-hewn stucco on the exterior is punctuated by protruding downspouts and wooden rafter ends. Spindly balconies and rustic ladders complete the unique properties.
Robert Stacy-Judd: Soboba Hot Springs Hotel (San Jacinto, Calif.)
As travel by personal car became more feasible during the 1920s, the mountains surrounding Los Angeles on the east became weekend getaways for residents. The use of hot springs for relaxation and to cure various ailments was a popular attraction. The Soboba Hot Springs Hotel filled both of those requirements for Los Angeles residents. Stacy-Judd combined his vast interest in Native American, Mexican, and Central American cultures with an Americanized version of different types of dwelling units. The cultural appropriation of native housing styles created a 'village' of native peoples who did not inhabit the same locations. While the hotel was popular for many years, it was eventually demolished and a hotel run by the local Native American tribe now bears its name.
Robert Stacy-Judd: Philosophical Research Society (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The founder of the Philosophical Research Society, Manely P. Hall, had commissioned buildings by Stacy-Judd previously, due to their shared interest in Mayan design. The Library in the Philosophical Research Society was designed to hold the many rare and unique books in the Hall collection.
Robert Stacy-Judd: Central Block (Minot, ND)
Robert Stacy-Judd worked for the railroad in England, then moved to the United States and worked for the Great Northern Railroad in North Dakota. After a couple of years, he started his own practice in Minot. The Central Block was originally designed as a six-story building, with shops on the first floor, and apartments above. The client was Dr. H.L. Kermott, a well-known physician. The buildings Stacy-Judd designed in North Dakota, and later in Alberta, Canada were in the local vernacular-- brick, two or three story, and limited ornamentation.
Lockwood de Forest: de Forest garden (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Lockwood de Forest was not just a landscape architect, but also designed and built houses, including his own on Todos Santos Lane in Santa Barbara. The house and landscaping were oriented towards a view of the Santa Ynez Mountains and included many native plants, which were drought-tolerant for the dry Santa Barbara climate.
Lockwood de Forest, Jr. landscape drawings, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
In the John Byers collection, many items are unidentified. Some of the drawings have dates or locations, however the vast majority do not. This pair of images shows the front of an adobe-style house in the first image, and the back of the house in the second. Both drawings bear the hallmarks of the Byers style-- red tile roofs, lush landscaping, and an exterior staircase leading to a second floor balcony.
John Byers papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Lockwood de Forest: Bothin tea garden (Montecito, Calif.)
San Francisco industrialist Henry Bothin and his wife Ellen Chabot Bothin purchased 350 acres of mountain and foothill land above Montecito in 1916. The property was named Mar Y Cel, but was commonly referred to as the Tea Garden; it was adjacent to the property which included their house, Piranhurst. Lockwood de Forest was commissioned in 1932 to add to the landscaping around the tea house, amphitheater, aqueducts, and gardens. After Ellen Bothin's death in 1965, the property fell into disrepair, and the Tea House was the starting point for the 2008 Tea Fire, which destroyed a large number of residences in Montecito.
Montecito, Calif.; Santa Barbara, Calif.
Lockwood de Forest: Chalifoux garden (Montecito, Calif.)
This extremely colorful and detailed design for a garden was for Elizabeth and Harold Chalifoux, who were well-known orchid growers in the Santa Barbara area. The Chalifoux were from Boston, and Elizabeth Chalifoux was the daughter of Albert Burrage, the well-respected horticulturist.
Lockwood de Forest: Santa Barbara Museum of Art (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
The plaza at the corner of State Street and Anapamu in downtown Santa Barbara was designed by Lockwood de Forest and architect Lutah Maria Riggs. The seating area with trees and benches allows for a brief respite prior to or just after visiting the museum. The Museum was established in 1941 in the old United States Post Office building; the facade was altered by Chicago-based architect David Adler, and financial support was given by many prominent people, including Wright Ludington and Stanley and Katherine McCormick (all were clients of de Forest).
Lockwood de Forest, landscape architect Lutah Maria Riggs, architect
Lockwood de Forest: Stanley McCormick estate (Montecito, Calif.)
The 84 acre "Riven Rock" estate belonged to the McCormick family, the inventors of the grain reaper and founders of the International Harvester company. The original house was constructed in 1898 (demolished after the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake), and was home to Stanley McCormick. The estate also contained many other guest houses, servants quarters, a nine hole golf course, orchards, a dairy, and many exotic plants. Stanley McCormick struggled with mental illness, and his wife Katherine (one of the first female graduates of MIT) fought with his family over access to Stanley and the estate. After Stanley's death in 1947, the estate was subdivided and sold to create many smaller land holdings.
Lockwood de Forest: William Nelson landscape (Montecito, Calif.)
As with many of Lockwood de Forest's commissions, the houses were designed by some of the top architects in Southern California, and de Forest's landscaping was a harmonious compliment to their work. The formality of the house lent itself to the grounds as well, as seen in this geometric fan-shaped garden for William P. Nelson.
Lockwood de Forest, landscape architect Carleton Winslow, Sr., architect
John Byers: John Byers house (Santa Monica, Calif,)
These images are for the first and second floor plans for an early house for Mrs. John Byers. The plans are not dated, and there is no address listed anywhere on the sheets. The thick-lined walls for the living room and first floor bedroom indicate this house might have been partially constructed from adobe. The second floor bedrooms open onto a balcony, which would have assisted with cross-breezes and done away with the need for a sleeping porch.
John Byers: Frederick Laue Restaurant (Santa Monica, Calif.)
The rendering for the Frederick Laue restaurant is an example of Byers' commercial work. While known specifically for residences, he did design a few commercial and civic buildings. A Laue Restaurant was located near the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Ocean Avenue from 1927 until 1936. This rendering, circa 1932, might have been a possible expansion in another location, or an unbuilt project rendering. The street view poses a facade very close to the sidewalk and street, while the back view highlights a patio with grassy area, and a two story massing.
John Byers: Unitarian Church (Santa Monica, Calf.)
The two very different renderings of the Unitarian Church of Santa Monica highlight the range of styles that John Byers was capable of designing. The first image, a more Spanish Colonial style, was the ultimate choice of the building, which is shown in the third image, a photograph taken after construction. The second image shows a much more traditional church, with high pointed steeple, instead of the smaller tower with bell.
The McLaughlin house, though its location is unknown, is very similar to many of the adobe and Monterey Revival houses Byers designed in the Santa Monica area. With an exterior staircase leading to a second floor balcony, red tile roof, and colorful landscaping, the house is a good example of the Byers style. The design of the house allowed for it to be sited either on a suburban or rural property.
John Byers papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara
This presentation drawing is similar to other Byers drawings-- with a Spanish Colonial Revival house set amongst lush landscaping. The house features a loggia running the length of the front of the house, with a second story balcony, and all under a classic red tile roof.
J.R. Davidson: Rattan and Bamboo Furniture
Davidson designed a whole line of outdoor furniture crafted from rattan and bamboo materials, which are flexible and durable enough to withstand the elements. He was inspired by Asian modes of craft-making, classic wooden furniture, and the designs of Paul T. Frankl, an industrial artist.
Julius Ralph Davidson papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
J.R. Davidson: Joseph Kingsley House (Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Calif.)
After supposedly being turned down by Richard Neutra to design their home, clients Joseph and Lore Kingsley commissioned Davidson to design a unique home to fit their needs. This design was then mirrored next door in the house built for Joseph Kingsley's mother. Both houses provided southern exposure to a lemon grove and beyond, the ocean.
J.R. Davidson, architect Julius Shulman, photographer
© J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10) Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. University of California Regents.
J.R. Davidson: Taylor House (Los Angeles, Calif.)
This house was designed not unlike the Crosby residence and Davidson's own home, although in the Taylor house the kitchen plan is more open and a glass vitrine provides views into the living room.
J.R. Davidson: Crosby House (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The plan of the Floyd D. Crosby Residence is actually the same floor plan Davidson used for the design of his own home, though the interior design choices of the homes differed widely.
J.R. Davidson: Berlin Armchair Design (Berlin, Germany)
Originally designed in Berlin, Davidson brought this drawing with him to America. The slightly curved armrests are reminiscent of Bruno Paul's own armchair designs.
J.R. Davidson: Cellarette on Wheels (Chicago, Illinois)
Davidson's furniture and restaurant supply designs expressed both Art Deco and modernist sensibilities. His "cellarette" concept for a pullout bar on wheels echoes the same simple, functional design of his patent for an easy open cigarette container.
J.R. Davidson: Maitland Residence (Bel Air, Los Angeles, Calif.)
Davidson retrofitted this Georgian home to better house the owner's modern art collection. He replaced wall space with larger windows and a glass enclosed porch to allow more light in and open up the space.
J.R. Davidson: Bransten House (San Francisco, Calif.)
Davidson was asked to design a family home for Richard Bransten, son of a wealthy coffee manufacturer from San Francisco. The window design reflects De-Stijl sensibilities, focusing on large geometric shapes. The three story residence was built on a slope to provide abundant opportunities for sunshine, outside terracing, and views of the city. The multiple levels also provided more locations for social and family interaction.
J.R. Davidson: Tierney and Co. Restaurant and Cafe-Bar (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Concept for the Tierney and Co. Restaurant. Note the bold Art Deco inspired interior.
J.R. Davidson: Sardi's Restaurant (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Davidson was commissioned to refurbish Sardi's Restaurant, which originally had interior design work done by Rudolph Schindler. Davidson reorganized the inside and added new features, opening up the space by cleverly incorporating partitions and changing the color scheme.
J.R. Davidson: Cocoanut Grove, Ambassador Hotel (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photographs of the interior of the coconut grove courtyard and lamp details. Davidson emphasized unique lighting designs, with the lamps here incorporating vegetal or "oriental" star elements.
J.R. Davidson, architect Mott Studios, photographer
J.R. Davidson: Davidson House (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Floor plan and photographs of the residence Davidson designed for himself and his wife on South Barrington Avenue in Los Angeles.
J.R. Davidson, architect Robert Cleveland, photographer
J.R. Davidson: Converted Apartment (Berlin, Germany)
Photographs of the former servants' quarters that Davidson retrofitted into his five-bedroom apartment in Berlin.
J.R. Davidson: Sketch of Sommer im Schutzengraben
Watercolor sketch from one of Davidson's sketchbooks.
J.R. Davidson: Church Steeple (Posen, Poland)
Watercolor sketch of a church steeple when Davidson probably still lived in Posen, Poland.
J.R. Davidson: Sketches of Objects in the Musee des Arts Decoratifs (Paris, France)
An early sketchbook of Davidson's studies of furniture and other objects from a decorative arts and design museum in Paris. Note the attention to detail and pattern.
J.R. Davidson: View of Klopstockstrase (Berlin)
Watercolor sketch of Davidson's hometown of Berlin.
J.R. Davidson: Blake G. Smith House (Laguna Beach, Calif.)
Sketches of the vacation house designed for Blake g Smith. The house was situated on the top of the cliffs, with a staircase leading down to a "natural sea pool".
Schematics of lamp designs. Davidson was inspired by Bauhaus furniture, which were streamlined, stainless steel constructions.
J. R. Davidson: The Golden Lion Inn, Sheridan Plaza Hotel (Chicago, Illinois)
Photographs of the exterior entrance, bar, and lunch counter of the Golden Lion Inn. The facade echoed tavern aesthetics, yet the inside was incredibly spacious and well lit.
J.R. Davidson, architect Hedrich-Blessing Studio, photographer
J.R. Davidson: Hotel Knickerbocker Bar and Tavern (Chicago, Illinois)
Photographs of the remodeled bar and tavern of the Hotel Knickerbocker. The resulting shape of the space results from the combination of "several existing odd rooms".
J.R. Davidson, architect Kaufman-Fabry, photographer
J.R. Davidson: Drive-in Curb Market (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Renderings and floor plan of the Drive-in Curb Market. Designs like this clearly anticipated the increasing importance of automobiles in the modern age.
J.R. Davidson: Bachelor's Haberdashery Shop (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photographs of the entrance and interior of the Haberdashery (a men's clothing store). This business replaced the earlier Schilling's Flowers.
J.R. Davidson: Schilling's Flower Store (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photograph of the interior and front entrance of the Schilling's Flower Store. It was later replaced by Bachelor's Haberdashery Shop.
J.R. Davidson: Bilicke-Satyr Books (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photographs of the exterior and interior of the Bilicke-Satyr Bookstore, featuring special strip lights. Many of Davidson's early commercial projects incorporate Art Deco elements, calculating geometric shapes, sleek forms, and straight lines.
J.R. Davidson, architect Willard Morgan, photographer
A portrait of J.R. Davidson in his later years.
J.R. Davidson: Office (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photos and plan of the entrance to Davidson's office in Los Angeles. The facade echoes the stylistic influences of Rudolph Schindler and Frank Lloyd Wright.
J.R. Davidson: Hi-Hat Restaurant (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photographs of the interior of the Hi-Hat restaurant. The owner originally requested an English style tavern, to which Davidson created a design that reflected his wishes but through a modernist's sensibilities.
J.R. Davidson, architect Willard, Morgan, photographer
J.R Davidson: Rabinowitz House (Bel Air, Los Angeles, Calif.)
Photographs of the interior and a floor plan of the Rabinowitz House. The design featured a panoramic view of Bel Air from its secluded position on a hill.
J. R. Davidson, architect Martin Rand, photographer
J.R. Davidson: Vigeveno #1 (Ojai, Calif.)
Exterior photograph of the Vigeveno #1 House, a ranch-style vacation home for art dealer James Vigeveno and his family. Another design was made for Vigeveno alongside the first, although this second house featured a completely different architectural style.
J.R. Davidson: California Sport Magazine cover
Davidson's design for the cover of California Sport Magazine.
J.R. Davidson: Feingold and Harris medical building (Los Angeles, Calif.)
These photographs document the narrow medical building that housed the practices of Dr. B.F. Feingold and and Dr. J.M. Harris. The spaces were designed to be modern and expansive, with scattered lighting and noise insulation.
J.R. Davidson: Foster Project (Bishop Calif.)
Built in the single-story"ranch style", the Walter Foster House project was one of Davidson's new designs bearing a departure from the International Style in favor of Soft Modernism. The house's plan incorporated local building styles and materials, a hallmark of the related concept of Regionalism. Sadly, it was never built.
J.R. Davidson: Gretna Green apartments (Brentwood, Calif.)
Photographs of the exterior of the apartments. The plans reflected the Bauhaus concept of utilizing limited space. Each of the four apartments has an exterior space such as a patio or sundeck to provide private outside access- a luxury usually only available to single-family homes.
J.R. Davidson: Stothart House (Santa Monica, Calif.)
Photographs of the exterior of the Stothart House; one of the driveway entrance and one of the side patio. The design emphasis on horizontal and flat forms, along with uniform windows and parapets echoed the International Style.
Roland Coate: Stern house (Holmby Hills, Calif.)
Real estate investor Jacob Stern commissioned this house from Coate in 1928. The over 9000 square foot estate was designed in the Mediterranean Revival style, on a 2.2 acre parcel of land. The 30 room mansion was sited on the crown of a hill, overlooking some of Holmby Hills' prime real estate. The house was later owned by Alfred and Betty Bloomingdale; it was recently sold and is undergoing extensive renovation of house and grounds. The estate landscape design was by A.E. Hanson.
Roland E. Coate, Sr., architect George Haight, photographer
Roland Eli Coate, Sr. papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Holmby Hills, Calif.; Los Angeles, Calif.
Roland Coate: Selznick house (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
Irene Mayer and David C. Selznick, a well-known movie producer, commissioned this house from Coate at the height of the great depression. The house was a Georgian Revival on a large lot in the center of Beverly Hills, surrounded by other movie moguls. Irene Mayer took a hands-on approach to working with Coate on her house-- she even assisted in designing the kitchens, bathrooms, and service wing. Subsequent owners of the property included Edward Doheny, Sammy Davis Jr., and Ed McMahon. The original landscape design was by Florence Yoch and Lucile Council.
Roland Coate: Norcross house (Bel Air, Calif.)
This large house, on a prominent hill overlooking the Bel Air Country Club was commissioned by petroleum executive David C. and Irene Norcross. The house features many Monterey Revival influences, as well as some intricate ironwork on a double-height balcony which references the architectural styles in New Orleans. The landscape plan was designed by A.E. Hanson.
Roland Coate: Barber house (Pasadena, Calif.)
The John E. Barber house is an early example of Coate's Monterey Revival style-- a second story balcony, center hall, with the majority of rooms opening onto outside space. Grayson C. and John Edwin Barber were a well-to-do and prominent Pasadena couple, and the property was a prime lot with views along the Arroyo Seco. Landscape architecture design was completed by Katherine Bashford.
Roland E. Coate, Sr., architect William Clarke, photographer
Roland Coate: Cowlishaw ranch house (Nogales, Ariz.)
The owners of a successful furniture business, Frank and Ruth Wilmot Cowlishaw commissioned Coate to design a large ranch house and stables for their 640 acre working ranch in Arizona. The house was L shaped and centered around a pool in the back of the house. It is a blend of many different styles, and quite different from Coates' other commissions. The rambling design incorporated many different levels, heights, and masses of various parts of the building to create a single structure that gives the appearance of many different buildings.
Roland Coate: Bixby house (Pasadena, Calif.)
This house, an interpretation of a Monterey style house, was one of Coate's earliest commissions as a solo architect, after the dissolution of the Johnson, Kaufmann, and Coate partnership. Stafford W. Bixby was a descendant of early California settlers, which might have been an inspiration for the architectural style. The two-story house features a second floor balcony which stretches almost the length of the facade. The design earned Coate an AIA honor award and the Medalla de Plata y Diploma in the United States section of the Third Pan-American Congress of Architects in Buenos Aires.
Roland Coate: Bryner house (Pasadena, Calif.)
This house is a departure from Coate's Spanish and Monterey Revival style. Built for industrialist Ira L. Bryner and his wife Margaret, the house was sited on an irregular hillside lot and bore the hallmarks of a Georgian Revival, with some Colonial influences. The steep and angled site allowed for views of the Arroyo Seco and the mountains; Coate sited the house to take best advantage of the view. The extensive gardens were designed by Florence Yoch and Lucile Council.
Roland E. Coate, Sr., architect Haight, photographer
Roland Coate: Fudger house (Los Angeles, Calif.)
This house was built for Eva J.K. Fudger, daughter of a citrus rancher and wife of a Toronto businessman. Fudger had been living across the street when she commissioned Coate to build this house with a view towards the adjacent Wilshire Country Club. Coate designed the house in a Monterey style, with second floor balconies, ample connection to the outdoors, and a rambling, sprawling floor plan which included a large servant's wing and separate owners' wings. Fudger only lived in the house for two years before moving out and renting it to industrialist and aviator Howard Hughes, who lived in the house until 1942. The estate's extensive grounds were designed by Florence Yoch and Lucile Council., which received an AIA award.
Roland E. Coate Sr., architect W.M. Clarke, photographer
Paul Soderburg: Tremaine house (Montecito, Calif.)
Katherine Tremaine commissioned Paul Soderburg to design a house for her after her divorce from Warren Tremaine. The house was built in the hills of Montecito in 1972, and extensively remodeled by Soderburg for Tremaine in 1977.
Paul Lawrence Soderburg papers. Architecture and Design Collection, Art Design & Architecture Museum, UC Santa Barbara
Architecture and Design Collection, Art Design & Architecture Museum, UC Santa Barbara
Cliff May: Tremaine ranch house (Donadea, Ireland)
This ranch house was designed by California architect Cliff May, with a local architect from Ireland, Donal O'Neill Flanagan. The architects collaborated to design a house for Warren and Katherine Tremaine and their manager of the Loughtown stud farm for horses, John Alexander. Only a portion of the planned house was built, and Alexander lived in the house while managing the horse farm.
Cliff May, architect Donal O'Neill Flanagan, architect
Cliff May papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Riggs and Shaw: Serena Beach Club (Montecito, Calif.)
The Serena Beach Club was to be built on property adjacent to the Burton and Emily Tremaine house that was designed by Oscar Niemeyer. Neither project was realized.
Lutah Maria Riggs, architect Arvin Shaw, architect
Lutah Maria Riggs papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Riggs and Shaw: Tremaine beach house (Sandyland Cove, Carpenteria, Calif.)
These are two designs for an un-built beach house in the Sandyland Cove beach community of Carpenteria, Calif. for Burton and Emily Tremaine. The designs by Riggs and Shaw are for two very different stylistic conceptions.
Riggs and Shaw: Tremaine ranch house (Meteor Crater, Ariz.)
Burton and Emily Tremaine commissioned Riggs and Shaw to design a ranch house on the Tremaine family ranch near Winslow, Arizona. The circular shape was reminiscent of the nearby Meteor Crater Natural landmark.
Lutah Maria Riggs, architect Arvin B. Shaw III, architect
Lutah Maria Riggs: Von Romberg house (Montecito, Calif.) interior photographs
Lutah Maria Riggs worked with interior designer Paul T. Frankl to furnish the Von Romberg house. Photographs were taken by both George Hurrell and Stuart O'Brien.
Lutah Maria Riggs, architect Paul T. Frankl, interior designer George Hurrell, photographer Stuart O'Brien, photographer
Lutah Maria Riggs: Von Romberg house (Montecito, Calif.) exterior photographs
The three exterior photographs were taken by George Hurrell.
Lutah Maria Riggs, architect George Hurrell, photographer
Lutah Maria Riggs: Von Romberg house (Montecito, Calif.) elevations
The renderings of the exterior, details, and sections of the Von Romberg house also show how the exterior changed as Riggs and Emily Von Romberg worked together to create a house that would suit all involved.
Lutah Maria Riggs: Von Romberg house (Montecito, Calif.) plans
The drawings of the Von Romberg house were commissioned for Baron Maximilian Edmund Hugo Wilhelm Von Romberg and his wife Emily Hall Von Romberg. The floor plans show how the design for the house changed over time.
Barton Myers: U.S Pavilion for the World Expo in Seville (Seville, Spain)
For the United States Pavillion at the Universal Exposition of Seville (Expo 92) competition, Myers created a series of buildings connected by courtyards, with theaters, exhibition space, and a water wall, all capped by three 'shade sails' to provide vertical interest and relief from the sun. Myers design was not the winner of the competition, so this design was never built.
Barton Myers, architect Barton Myers Associates, architects Arquitectura Langdon, architects
Barton Myers papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Barton Myers: New Jersey Performing Arts Center (Newark, NJ)
With the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJ PAC), Myers created a multi-building center with theaters, conference rooms, and restaurants to connect existing parts of Newark (a Military Park and the Passaic River) with each other and the new venue. The theaters included the 2700-seat Prudential hall and the 500-seat Victoria Theater. The complex was designed to be an urban revitalization project for downtown Newark.
Barton Myers, architect Barton Myers Associates, architects
Barton Myers: Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto, Ont.)
Myers renovated and expanded the Art Gallery-- renovating the existing 190,000 square feet of museum and adding another 100,000 square feet. The renovations included the re-working of buildings dating back to 1817, and to connect the various new and old spaces to each other with courtyards, sculpture gardens, and the use of mass and voids. Myers created a sculpture garden in the midst of the expanded buildings, to be utilized as a site for dining, exhibition openings, concerts, and other events. The expanded Art Gallery is one of the largest museums in North America.
Barton Myers, architect Barton Myers Associates, architects KMPB, associates
Barton Myers: Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (Cerritos, Calif.)
The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts was the initial phase of building for the Cerritos Town Center development. The arts center was a grouping of buildings designed for theater performances, meetings, receptions, and other gatherings. The main focus is the theater, which was designed by Myers to have five different configurations, which could be changed based on the type of performance. The buildings were carefully massed to work with the surroundings-- a hotel complex, shopping center, and freeways.
Barton Myers, architect Barton Myers Associates, architects Timothy Street-Porter, photographer
Barton Myers: Phoenix Municipal Government Center (Phoenix, Ariz.)
The design competition for the civic center of Phoenix placed the main municipal buildings at the center of the city; the Myers plan incorporates the main arteries into how the architecture works with the surrounding area. The low-rise buildings were joined together by a series of walkways, parks, courts, and an aqueduct. The reddish-brown and pink sandstone wall color connected the building and the city to the desert.
Barton Myers: A Grand Avenue proposal (Los Angeles, Calif.)
In 1980, the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency was planning to demolish the Bunker Hill area of the city and organized a competition for a team of architects to design a new urban center. A Grand Avenue proposal was created by developer Robert Maguire and led by Barton Myers Associates and the Urban Innovations Group. Barton Myers and Edgardo Contini designed a mixed-use development with housing, shops, hotels, parks, and offices. Myers designed two residential towers, both containing ample outdoor space for residents. The plan was to integrate the new development into the surrounding area, bridging the older neighborhood to the east with the newer areas of the downtown core. Their plan did not win the competition, but was widely admired by architects and the public.
Barton Myers, architect Barton Myers Associates, architects Carlos Diniz, renderer Maguire Partners, developers
Barton Myers: Seagram Museum (Waterloo, Ont.)
For the Seagram Museum, Myers used the original nineteenth-century barrel warehouse, which had held up to 6000 barrels of whiskey, as part of the exhibition space. He also used wood beams from the warehouse to clad the new structures. At the time of the construction of the Museum, the distillery was still in use by the Seagram company. Unfortunately, the museum closed in 1997 and the building has since been turned into office space.
Barton Myers, architect Barton Myers Associates, architects Timothy Hursley, photographer
Barton Myers: Portland Performing Arts Center (Portland, Ore.)
The Portland Performing Arts Center was designed in association with BOOR/A and ELS Design Group. Myers designed two theaters, the 900-seat Newmark Theatre and the 360-seat Dolores Winningstad Theater, as well as offices, ticketing area, and support spaces. The Spectral Light dome by artist James Carpenter sits above the lobby of the building. Myers also renovated and converted a 1927 theater into a 2750-seat concert hall. All of the theaters were designed to be versatile in their varied uses-- from intimate theater to large concert hall.
George Washington Smith: Dietrich house (Montecito, Calif.)
George Washington Smith was commissioned by Alfred Dietrich, an heir to an oil manufacturing fortune who also owned a railroad line, to design servants quarters and a garage for his property on Park Lane. This smaller house was built prior to the large main house for Dietrich, who secured Addison Mizner to be the architect for the main portion of the estate. These drawings and renderings are for a three bedroom, three bathroom house, with two car garage, and living quarters for chauffeur.
George Washington Smith, architect Lutah Maria Riggs, renderer
George Washington Smith papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
George Washington Smith: Gallagher house (Montecito, Calif.)
The Wesley Gallagher house was a Smith commission just prior to his death in 1930. The Smith files contain these sketches and drawings (most done in Riggs' hand) for preliminary elevations for the house. The Riggs files contain the actual working drawings used for construction of the house.
George Washington Smith, architect Lutah Maria Riggs, architect and renderer
George Washington Smith: Isham beach house (Carpenteria, Calif.)
The Carpenteria beach house for Albert Keep Isham was a Moorish inspired estate directly on the beach. Smith also constructed a natatorium, which was done in an "Islamic" style and contained a large number of decorative tiles around the swimming pool and a retractable roof. The beach house and natatorium are currently part of a gated community with private beach access in the Carpenteria area.
George Washington Smith: Jackling house (Woodside, Calif.)
This large Spanish Colonial Revival mansion in the small town of Woodside was built for copper mining magnate Daniel Cowan Jackling and his family. The 17,000 square foot house sat on a 194 acre parcel of land. The property was subdivided and all but 6 acres was sold off in the late 1950s. The house was purchased by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 1984; in 2007 he petitioned to have the home razed so he could build a smaller house. After lengthy legal appeals, the house was destroyed in 2011.
George Washington Smith: Maverick house (San Antonio, Tex.)
This house for Robert VanWyck Maverick was one of only two houses Smith built in Texas. It was considered one of the best examples of a courtyard-centered house at the time of its construction. The plan for the house was U-shaped, with a fourth wall enclosing the courtyard. The bedrooms were along one wing, the kitchen and service areas the other, and the main living area connected the two wings. As with many of Smith's houses, the Maverick files contain many preliminary sketches and elevations, along with renderings by Riggs.
Edward Killingsworth: Del Ray Hotel (San Diego, Calif.)
The Del Ray Hotel / Apartments / Shopping center complex in San Diego, was one of Killingsworth's first multi-family dwelling projects. It was designed to provide for all of the necessities in one location. With a large outdoor pool area, landscaped lawn, and covered parking, the complex was a self-contained community, set well back from the surrounding streets. This un-built development was a precursor to the mixed-use retail/residential buildings of today.
Edward A. Killingsworth papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara
Edward Killlingsworth: Mauna Lani Bay Hotel (Big Island, Hawaii)
The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii was designed to be one of the top luxury resort hotels in the world. The 345 room hotel also contained separate bungalows designed by the firm, which were each 4000 square feet in size and were adjacent to the main hotel, but contained separate private pools, a spa, and ocean views. The main hotel complex featured a tropical atrium with extensive indoor and outdoor water features, multiple restaurants, and luxury amenities.
Edward Killingsworth, architect Julius Shulman, photographer
Edward Killingsworth: Halekulani Hotel (Honolulu, HI)
The Halekulani Hotel's name means "House Befitting Heaven" in the native Hawaiian language of the people of the Waikiki beach area. The location for the hotel had been the site of various guest accommodations and hotels since the early 1900s. The 453 room hotel built by Killingsworth featured a beach side location, multiple restaurants, pools, suites, and other amenities.
Edward Killingsworth: Marriott Airport Hotel (Long Beach, Calif.)
The firm Killingsworth, Stricker, Lindgren, Wilson & Associates designed and built many high-end luxury hotels throughout the world during the 1980s. This Marriott was built close to their home office in Long Beach. It was also conveniently located next to the Long Beach Airport, with abundant parking, conference facilities, an outdoor pool and other water features, along with restaurants and other luxury amenities.
Edward Killingsworth: Princess Reforma Hotel (Mexico City, Mexico)
The Princess Reforma hotel was an unbuilt design that reached the stage of having a scale model built and photographed by renown architectural photographer Julius Shulman. The hotel was to feature a tall, thin tower to house the majority of the hotel rooms, with lower buildings including parking and conference services. The street-level interface included a large drop-off area and entrance/exit to the lower levels of the parking garage.