Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Lovell Beach House


Constructed in 1926, the Lovell Beach House was perhaps the first pure International Style house built in America. Designed by Rudolf Schindler for the same progressive physician who later commissioned Richard Neutra to design his well known Los Angeles home, the Lovell Beach House consists of a series of five concrete frames that form the main structure. The rhythm of these planes provides a striking composition of forms, and elegantly elevates the main living spaces above the surrounding ground level for a panorama of the ocean beyond.

"living space was developed inside of five free-standing reinforced concrete frames, cast in the form of square figure eights. Schindler objected to pipe column stilts, calling his own system 'projections of five visible concrete frames which form an organic skeleton." —Esther McCoy. Five California Architects. p165


"The Lovell house was not primarily a drawing board solution—as was much of the work done at that time by the Constructivists in Europe. Schindler's purpose in using the frames was to raise the house above the public beach, and also to develop a skeletal system solid and flexible enough to withstand earthquakes."—Esther McCoy. Five California Architects. p165





Image from: www.arch.columbia.edu/.../Sum98/Scerbo.Thomas/

Proportion and Beauty- The Lovell Beach House By Roudolph Michael Schindler, Newport Beach, 1922-1926

August E. SarnitzThe Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 45, No. 4. (Dec., 1986) pp. 374-388

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