The architecture of Silver Lake developed hand-in-hand with the film industry. Like a mighty wave, the creative individuals captivated by the magic of Hollywood were drawn by the thousands to Southern California to 'make their mark' seeking employment but also needing a place to call home. The beautiful hillsides of Hollywood, Los Feliz and Silver Lake were often the preferred locations for these early pioneers. As Los Feliz and the Hollywood Hills became too pricey, homebuyers and renters looked eastward towards Silver Lake. At the same time, as new architectural styles were coming into fashion, the architects who were designing them found greater acceptance for the avante garde in the cultural mix of Los Angeles. As a result, the works of Modernist pioneers like Gregory Ain, R.M. Schindler, Raphael Soriano, John Lautner, and Richard Neutra are literally sprinkled throughout our hillsides. Following in their footsteps, a new generation of architects has emerged in the twenty-first century, including such luminaries as Michael Lehrer, Barbara Bestor, Barry Milofsky, Gustavo Gubel, Sean Briski, John Southern, Tim Campbell, Ricardo Accorsi, Ana Henton, and many more. These images will help you appreciate our architectural heritage and the new innovators that continue to interpret and exemplify beautiful architectural design.
Approximately 11 months ago the SILVER LAKE ARCHITECTURE site was hacked, resulting in the cancellation of our subscription list and leaving the site dormant for a time. Since then I have been busy with other projects, notably working on my upcoming book tentatively titled "The Silver Lake Story: Legacies & Legends of a Progressive Community in the 20th Century", to be published by the History Press in 2014.
In the meantime, we have re-organized the site to make sure we don't get hacked again! We'd like to welcome you back and trust that it won't happen again.
I became aware of the house that Eugene Kinn Choy built for himself as a result of the exhibition "Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles (1945-1980)" at the Chinese American Museum. The exhibit is a "showcase the architectural achievements of four pioneering Chinese American architects whose contributions were critical to the development of Los Angeles' urban and visual landscape between 1945 and 1980." The contributions of architects Eugene K. Choy, Gilbert Leong, Helen Liu Fong, and Gin Wong, are the focus of the show, which opened on January 19, 2012. These pioneering architects played pivotal roles in the development of the Mid-Century Modern architectural style.
The Jenkyns House in Silver Lake just came on the market (August 2011) priced at $1,070,000. The 3-bedroom, 2-bath house is a classic expression of California Modernism. Described in the listing, "The residence is lifted from the street with a slanted roofline, creating a dramatic soaring effect and capturing views of the Silver Lake Reservoir.. Exposed posts and beams, brick fireplaces, and floating staircases punctuate the classic design."
The architect, who passed away in 2002 aged 94, was friends with other non-conformists of the period, including architectural photographer Julius Schulman, landscape designer Garrett Eckbo, and fellow "radical" architect Gregory Ain. He was a card-carrying Communist whose political activism made him a target of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Shulman photographed the Jenkyns House for his friend, but never allowed them to be published, citing privacy issues. The house is located at 1973 Redesdale Avenue.
Sitting atop one of Silver Lake’s most architectural streets, this 2006 home published in the LA Times home section was designed by architect Sean Briski. It offers dynamic Silver Lake living on four view-soaked levels. The perfect live-work solution, a large office/studio (or guest unit) is accessed from the street level. Continue down the central staircase to the loft style living spaces. Two bedrooms and a full bath share a floor with the open balcony overlooking the open-plan living area below. A sliding wall separates the family room from the living room: raise it to create one giant activity space for entertaining and family gatherings. The double-height living room can be used to play basketball, or just open the tri-fold glass doors and enjoy the mountain views beyond. On the garden level, the master bedroom with en-suite bath and walk-in closet is enhanced with its own fabulous covered patio. A stroll from the bedroom to the lush landscaping below affords that Silver Lake hills rarity: a large flat yard filled with drought-resistant native plants and shaded seating.
Designed with sustainability in mind, the house is built into the hillside to reduce heating and cooling loads. Polished concrete floors do not require finish replacement, and recycled tire treads are used to screen the insulated glass wall. A rainwater tank is concealed in the garden. With braced-steel framework providing an open interior while meeting the latest higher-seismic resistance requirements, this uniquely thoughtful house quietly sets itself apart from the crowd. The house comes on the market May 5, 2011 and is listed for sale at $1,170.00. Visit the property website for more details.
Architect Jeffrey Allsbrook recently invited me to visit his "Tree House" (our current "front page feature photos") perched on a hillside in Silver Lake under the shade of a great ash tree. Standard is a Silver Lake-based architecture and design partnership of architects Jeffrey Allsbrook and Silvia Kuhle.
Jeffrey Allsbrook received a BS in Architecture from the Ohio State University and a Master of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture. He also studied architecture at the Städelschule in Frankurt, Germany and at the Berlage Institute in Amsterdam. Mr. Allsbrook’s built and theoretical work has been featured in numerous publications both nationally and internationally. In addition to his professional work, he is committed to architectural education and research. He has maintained a faculty position at the University of Southern California since 1999, where he continues to teach architectural design studios. Mr. Allsbrook has presented lectures on Standard’s work and his research on Le Corbusier, as well as juried reviews at USC, SCI Arc, UCLA, Otis College and Rice University. Prior to forming Standard, Mr. Allsbrook was a designer at Munkenbeck and Marshall in London, and a project architect for Mack Architects in Los Angeles.
Silvia Kuhle received her Diploma in architecture from the Technische Universität in Darmstadt, Germany and her Master of Architecture from Columbia University in New York.
Ms. Kuhle worked with Morphosis Architects for more then ten years. As Project Manager and Principal, she managed a broad range of award winning educational, institutional, governmental, cultural and residential projects. In 2006 she managed the firm’s competition winning design for the Phare Tower in Paris, a 300 meter commercial office building that aims to set new benchmarks for sustainable design while providing an iconic landmark in the Parisian skyline. Ms. Kuhle led many of the firm’s most celebrated projects, including the third phase of the Hypo Alpe-Adria Bank in Klagenfurt, Austria, the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters in Los Angeles and the New Academic Building for the Cooper Union in New York City. As Project Architect, she was responsible for the Long Beach International Elementary School and the Children’s Museum Los Angeles.
Ms. Kuhle’s work has been published in A+U, Architectural Record, SOMA, Columbia University Abstract, and SD. Ms. Kuhle taught design studios at UCLA, as well as lectured and juried reviews at SciArc, UCLA, USC and Cornell University. Ms. Kuhle was awarded 1st place for her master plan of a sustainable housing and industrial development in Augsburg, Germany and also won 1st prize for the design of a light rail station in Dortmund, Germany.
The house appears as a tree house, suspended above the canopy. The architect conceived the house as a Case Study Project, approaching his college friend after learning that he and his young bride had recently purchased a large lot in Silver Lake. The seller needed cash, and while the $3,000 price tag was steep, they managed to secure the necessary funds.
With limited financial resources, the original house was a single story, built on an upper level, with a lower level planned for future expansion. In later years, the lower section was completed, providing a home office, sitting room and master suite on the ground level. The house is set back a distance from the street, and is approached via a sloping ramp connecting to the upper level, providing the "tree house: effect. Located at 2321 Hidalgo Avenue in Silver Lake.
Once in a rare while, the opportunity comes along to visit a fabled treasure that is normally a well-kept secret and off-limits to the general public. I was familiar with stories about the house, where Eric Lloyd Wright, grandson of Frank Lloyd Wright and a distinguished architect in his own right, designed a home for his half-brother Rupert Pole and Anais Nin, the famous feminist and writer in 1962. It was the architect’s first solo commission; he returned to the site on November 20, 2010 for an interview with the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council History Collective (SLNCHC). Bob Herzog, Co-Chair of the Committee invited me along, to document and photograph the participants and the occasion. Also on hand were the architect’s son and daughter-in-law, Devon and “Tree” Wright, and Jenifer Palmer-Lacy, who conducted the interview.
The glass, concrete and wood house is located on the precipice of a hill on the east side of the lake , overlooking the reservoir and the Moreno Highlands in the west. Wright, in the interview, reminisced about his relationship with his clients; his half-brother, Rupert Pole and Nin, who shocked the literary world with frank details about her sexual escapades, including her relationship with author Henry Miller and his wife, made public in the book, “Henry and June”. She led a double life, being married to Pole, her “west coast” lover, and her New York husband, Hugh “Hugo” Guiler, with whom she kept an apartment in Manhattan. Neither spouse was aware of the other; although she married Pole in 1955, the marriage was nullified 11 years later after she confessed that she was already married. She would return to Pole, 16 years her junior, to spend her final years together with him in the house, until her death in 1977. The house was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 892) in 2007.
Our goal at SILVER LAKE ARCHITECTURE is to honor the built environment of our community. If you are an architect OR if you know of important architecture that is not (as yet) featured on the site, please let us know! Our desire is to be inclusive; your input is important!
Artist April Greiman & Architect Michael Rotondi have taken a little mid-century motel situated in Desert Hot Springs, California, at the western edge of Joshua Tree National Park, and innovatively restored it, re-designing it into an oasis of the spirit. Miracle Manor Retreat is a six-room 50s era B and B spa-motel that sits atop Miracle Hill.The Miracle lies in the aquifer some 400 feet below the surface – the source of geothermal mineral waters. For decades, these springs have attracted countless people in search of natural health and healing.
My introduction to Modernist Architecture came about in a serendipitous way. Shortly after getting married in 2002, I moved with my new bride, Donna Jean Titus to Silver Lake. Resigning from a 23-year career in corporate sales, with the Ingersoll Rand Company, we moved to a somewhat marginal neighborhood in Silver Lake. (It took some convincing to assure Donna Jean that it would be safe!) Hoping to make a difference, I decided to run for a regional seat on the just-forming Silver Lake Neighborhood Council in 2003. Taking the task seriously, Donna and I knocked on almost every door (some 2 or 3 times) in Region 1 (Silver Lake has 7 regions; Region 1 is roughly the area east of Silver Lake Blvd., north of Sunset Blvd., south of Duane Street and west of Waterloo). I relished the campaign; along the way, I met many outstanding neighbors who would become life-long friends, including Tom Blanchard (who would later serve as first Chairperson of the Silver Lake Beautification Committee). After receiving the most votes in Region 1 (Marion Aguilar came in second and served a one-year term) and taking my seat on the governing board, I determined to “do something” during my term of office, and offered to start a “Beautification Committee”, which turned out to be a phenomenal success.
The committee held its first-ever meeting at the Coffee Table on Rowena Avenue. I was truly amazed at the number of distinguished Silver Lakers that showed up (as I recall, the number of participants was about 85!) From my memory, here’s a short list of some of the notables: Architects Tom Blanchard, Joe Federowich, Barton Choy, and Dion Neutra; Urban Designers Jenna Didier & Oliver Hess (Materials & Applications), Landscape Architects Glen Dake and Mark Beall, and Entrepreneur Dana Hollister (Paramour Estate) to mention a few. The committee undertook many successful projects, some of which have had a lasting impact, including the “Art Can Project” (concrete trash cans along the commercial corridors of Silver Lake, each decorated with mosaic panels designed by local artists; a model which has been copied by other communities including Eagle Rock), the Sunset Triangle Park Project, Tree Planting Project and the Annual Silver Lake Beautification Day,
Dion Neutra became a pivotal figure in my “architecture education”. Attending a “Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design” event at the Eagle Rock Playground in 2003, I had the great pleasure of meeting the late eminent architectural photographer Julius Shulman. His life story made a powerful impression on me. Later, I would seek him out and found him to be very accessible; we became great friends, as I had the pleasure of being with him on many occasions. And that’s how I became an architecture buff!
For several years, a good bit of my time has been spent familiarizing myself with the fascinating architecture of SILVER LAKE, the community that Donna and I called "home" during the early part of our marriage, beginning in 2002. It all started when I switched careers in 2002, from corporate sales (for 23 years, I was a corporate salesman for the Ingersoll Rand Company, Construction & Mining Division) to real estate, signing on with Coldwell Banker in Los Feliz village.
I had always been fascinated by architecture, however my appreciation for "great" architecture was the stuff of my imagination (think Taj Mahal, the Lincoln Memorial, for example). It wasn't until I became a realtor and took a course in Architecture (offered by Jan Horn, (Director of Coldwell Banker's Architectural Division) that my awareness of "modern" architecture began to blossom.
Living in SILVER LAKE, with its amazing Modernist Architecture right in my backyard has been an eye-opening experience. It is my great pleasure to share my journey with you!
In the coming months, my goal will be to highlight our architectural heritage, and post related events on this site. Please join with me! Your input (including calendar postings) will be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to invite others to join!
