This morning, while reading The Architect's Newspaper Blog, I came across some depressing images: photographs taken of John Lautner's recently demolished Shusett House. Built in 1950, this residence was considered to be one of Lautner's major, albeit early, commissions.
The Shusett House, which is located on Monte Leon Lane in Beverly Hills, was purchased in 1987 by Enrique Mannheim. Mannheim claims he was attracted to the house, not because of its architectural pedigree, but because of its large lot size, low price, and Beverly Hills zip code. The house itself had fallen into horrible disrepair by the time of Mannheim's purchase, a fate common among aging modernist residences, and Mannheim was unwilling to restore his historic home.
The home's structure, called "organic modernism" by Alan Hess (historian and author of The Architecture of John Lautner), is inspired by a Canary pine tree, now over 100 years old, which is situated on the site. The community spaces -living room and dining room -surround the tree in a gently curving semi-circle. A glass facade allowed the tree to enter the home, blending interior and exterior space. This ingenious design failed to make a lasting impression on Mannheim, who insisted on demolition, despite pleas from preservationists and Lautner enthusiasts.
Frank Escher, a Silver Lake architect and director of the John Lautner Foundation, tried reasoning with Mannheim, arguing, "you have a historically valuable property here. It might be your personal property, but there is a larger responsibility". Even attempts to purchase the home were turned down. In a last ditch effort to save the home, the city of Beverly Hills even proposed moving Shusett House to a new site. This move would have both preserved the home and allowed Mannheim to build himself a new mansion without the cost, time, or mess of demolition; stubbornly, he refused even this generous offer.
Due to the nature of Beverly Hills preservation laws (which seem to be rather nonexistent), the city cannot legally halt the destruction of Shusett House. Thus, the bulldozers went to work three weeks ago; now, all that remains of this early example of Lautner's legacy are photographs and memories.
As a lover of modernism, especially the California modernism expressed by Lautner, and a proponent of preservation, I am deeply saddened by the loss of Shusett House. The demolition of this historically significant work is a reminder that preservation laws, many of which have remained unchanged since the 1960s, require extensive revamping. The cultural identity of Los Angeles cannot sustain itself without its architectural treasures.
Photographs of the Shusett House (both before and after demolition) can be found at: http://www.architizer.com/en_us/blog/dyn/8359/before-and-after-lautner/
The Shusett House, which is located on Monte Leon Lane in Beverly Hills, was purchased in 1987 by Enrique Mannheim. Mannheim claims he was attracted to the house, not because of its architectural pedigree, but because of its large lot size, low price, and Beverly Hills zip code. The house itself had fallen into horrible disrepair by the time of Mannheim's purchase, a fate common among aging modernist residences, and Mannheim was unwilling to restore his historic home.
The home's structure, called "organic modernism" by Alan Hess (historian and author of The Architecture of John Lautner), is inspired by a Canary pine tree, now over 100 years old, which is situated on the site. The community spaces -living room and dining room -surround the tree in a gently curving semi-circle. A glass facade allowed the tree to enter the home, blending interior and exterior space. This ingenious design failed to make a lasting impression on Mannheim, who insisted on demolition, despite pleas from preservationists and Lautner enthusiasts.
Frank Escher, a Silver Lake architect and director of the John Lautner Foundation, tried reasoning with Mannheim, arguing, "you have a historically valuable property here. It might be your personal property, but there is a larger responsibility". Even attempts to purchase the home were turned down. In a last ditch effort to save the home, the city of Beverly Hills even proposed moving Shusett House to a new site. This move would have both preserved the home and allowed Mannheim to build himself a new mansion without the cost, time, or mess of demolition; stubbornly, he refused even this generous offer.
Due to the nature of Beverly Hills preservation laws (which seem to be rather nonexistent), the city cannot legally halt the destruction of Shusett House. Thus, the bulldozers went to work three weeks ago; now, all that remains of this early example of Lautner's legacy are photographs and memories.
As a lover of modernism, especially the California modernism expressed by Lautner, and a proponent of preservation, I am deeply saddened by the loss of Shusett House. The demolition of this historically significant work is a reminder that preservation laws, many of which have remained unchanged since the 1960s, require extensive revamping. The cultural identity of Los Angeles cannot sustain itself without its architectural treasures.
Photographs of the Shusett House (both before and after demolition) can be found at: http://www.architizer.com/en_us/blog/dyn/8359/before-and-after-lautner/
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