As anyone with an appreciation for great architecture knows, photographs, no matter how stunning, only tell part of the story. To truly appreciate a great building you have to experience it – how it is sited in the landscape, the flow of spaces and play of natural light, the contrast of finishes and textures. It’s not just about how a building looks, but how it feels, how it works as a space for living.
Fortunately, many significant Mid-century modern homes have been preserved as house museums and are open to the public for tours throughout the year. Others, which continue to be inhabited as private residences are opened by their owners once a year for events such as Modernism Week in Palm Springs, California, and Sydney Open, in Sydney, Australia.
Here are three significant Mid-century modern homes you can tour and experience in Los Angeles,to gain a full understanding of the innovation and beauty of their design.
Eames House, Pacific Palisades, California
(Photo by Michael Locke)
The Eames House, Case Study House #8, was designed by Charles and Ray Eames, who moved into the house in 1949 and lived there for the remainder of their lives. Sensitively sited in a beautiful meadow, the house offered the couple a space where work, play, life and nature could coexist. The interiors remain intact, much as they were in the Eames’ lifetimes.
You can book a self-guided exterior tour of the Eames House, a full interior tour and even a picnic for four in the Eames’ beloved meadow. For more information check the Eames Foundation site.
Stahl House, Hollywood, California
(Photo via James Vaughan)
Case Study House #22, the Stahl House is sited on a cliff high above Hollywood and its pioneering use of glass and steel in its geometry and symmetry reflects the gridlines of the streets below. The iconic house, completed in 1960, was designed for Buck and Carlotta Stahl by ingenious young architect Pierre Koenig, the only architect the Stahl’s approached daring enough to consider the cantilevered foundation that is so awe-inspiring today.
For tour reservations, visit the Stahl House site.
Richard Neutra VDL House, Los Angeles, California
(Photo by Michael Locke)
In 1940, Viennese-American architect Richard Neutra received a no-interest loan from Dutch philanthropist Dr C. H. Van Der Leeuw to build a truly radical glass house with rooftop and balcony gardens to accommodate his office and two families on a small 60 x 70 foot lot. Neutra named it the VDL Research House after his benefactor and over a 30-year period hundreds of significant architectural projects on four continents were designed here.
Tours are available of the VDL House every Saturday from 11am to 3pm, for details visit the Neutra VDL site.
