Thread: Classic Modernist Architecture

One of the reasons I joined here was the property and architecture sections, and the love that modern architecture gets from quite a few of you guys. I'm an architect/interior designer over here in London, and absolutely love modernist architecture. I've been lucky enough to visit LA and New York a few times now and made some visits to some seminal properties while I was there.

And it got me wondering how many of you guys that like the modern stuff like this or this know about some of the seminal modern houses that have inspired and informed them?

Frank Lloyd Wright I'm guessing is pretty universally well known, as a name. I'm yet to visit any of his work, but Chicago and the rest of Illinois are high on my list of places to visit to tick some off. Anybody been to Falling Water? What about Mies van Der Rohe? Lake Shore Drive, The Farnsworth House, the Seagram Building in NYC?

What about LA.. who knows Rudolf Schindler, Richard Neutra, The Eames, Pierre Koenig? Who's heard of The Case Study Houses? Anybody been to the Frank Lloyd Wright house that was used as Deckard's apartment in Blade Runner? Anyone recognise the house that was in LA Confidential as Richard Neutra's Lovell Health House?

I fucking love LA modernism from the 20's through the 50's and what can get built now.

I seriously considered moving to LA after I finished my Masters, and if I hadn't have met my missus while I was in my final year I very likely would have done.. damn women! It's still a dream that could happen.

So who knows a bit? and who just likes what they see?

How many, if any architects and designers are on here?

Some classic eye candy to see what's what...

Koenig's Case study House #22.. (aka The Stahl House)


Mies' Farnsworth House..


The Eames' House, Case Study House #8...


Neutra's Lovell Health House..


Wright's Falling Water..


Wright's Ennis-Brown House (aka the Blade Runner house)..

Thanks for sharing! I've always loved the Frank LLoyd Wright designs.

Never seen the Ennis-Brown House before... Do you have any more pics of it? Looks pretty sweet! And welcome to the 4!

LOVING that second to last one! More pics of that please?

Originally Posted by rmk600

Never seen the Ennis-Brown House before... Do you have any more pics of it? Looks pretty sweet! And welcome to the 4!

Thanks.

It's an amazing place. Built in 1923-24 by Frank Lloyd Wright for Mr & Mrs Ennis, and part of a series of buildings inthat style that FLW designed at the time in LA.

I just had a quick search for more photos and a decent site for some more information for you and came across THIS which has a wealth of information and photos which I'll leave there rather then repost here as they're all captioned.

And if you've got a cool $15million and at least the same aside for restoration you can buy it! The building has suffered from poor maintenance, and possibly poor construction in the first place, the blockwork is crumbling, exacerbated by someone's foolish decision to paint it to try and prevent water ingress into the blockwork, which just made it worse, then the 1994 earthquake and the 2005 rains which rendered it unsafe for a while.

I visited it back in 2001 when the last owner, Mr Brown, still lived in it but had already bequeathed it to the state for preservation. At that time the foundation ran short tours by appointment, and I was lucky enough to be shown around. It's absolutely stunning. The approach is amazing as it sits on a point and the road winds up around it. The interior is just jaw dropping and was used as Deckhard's apartment in Blade Runner.

I wasn't aware until just finding that site that it had fallen into such a bad state, let alone gone up for sale. I just hope that someone does buy it and has the funds to save it.

Enjoy that link, and if you google image search Ennis Brown House you'll find hundreds more photos.

Originally Posted by The Unibomber

LOVING that second to last one! More pics of that please?

That's possibly Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous building, certainly one of the most iconic.

It was designed it 1934 for Edgar J Kauffman, a businessman. Legend has it that FLW had the commission on his desk for 9 months without putting pencil to paper, only doing so when Kaufmann called to say he was on his way from Pittsburgh to FLW's studio in Wisconsin, and that in the time it took for Kaufmann to arrive he had it all drawn and ready to present!

Again, there's a great website HERE with loads of photos and information, and the WIKI has really good information on it.

Kaufmann donated the house to the Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1964 and it's open to the public as a museum with guided tours, CLICKY and is high on my list of places to visit.

Enjoy!

And ask away about any of the others, I love finding out more about them for other people as I always learn something new and reinforce why I love what I do

Thanks for info., definitely going to make plans too see house.

Pleasure

This one of his is in your neck of the woods too.

The Robie House, 1909..





It's in Hyde Park, Chicago, you should go see it too, they do tours of that place aswell.

And his original home and studio is in Oak Park.

If you like all that, you should check out this Oak Park Tour being run by the foundation next May.

Damn I need to get to Chicago!

Thanks for that info! Went to the site you linked and realized I had seen that house in a Steven Seagal movie too, The Glimmer Man. The Falling Water House is amazing as well. Keep up the interesting architecture posts.

extremely nice modern designs! keep them coming....