More than a week after the devastating fires in Los Angeles, the losses to the region's rich architectural heritage are becoming clearer. The fire has already destroyed more structures in the county than any other single fire, said Adrienne Scott Fine, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Conservancy, and its website lists more than 30. The loss of important buildings has been recorded. The number is growing by the minute as officials, building owners and others head to the affected areas to assess the damage.
The diversity of destruction tragically reveals the amazing diversity of the region's architecture, including Modernist, Beaux Arts, Spanish Revival, Craftsman, Art Deco, Victorian, Postmodern, and Contemporary architecture.
“That's what made both Palisades and Altadena so special,” Fine said. “They were a hodgepodge. That's what made them so interesting and quirky and why people loved them.”
The fires were as brutal as they were unpredictable. Renowned architect Ray Kappe's 539 W. Rustic Road location in Rustic Canyon burned down but unscathed, and his treehouse-like Keeler House about 10 minutes away was gone. Arguably the area's most famous modern home, Charles and Ray Eames' home and studio, designed in 1949 for Arts & Architecture magazine's Case Study Houses program, suffered damage. I was spared. Branches were down and extensive glass windows were coated with fire retardant, but the house sustained little damage.
“We are incredibly fortunate,” said Lucia Dewey Atwood, executive director of the Eames Foundation and granddaughter of the Eameses.
“What makes this month's fires so surprising is that much of their destruction was complete and final,” said Ken Bernstein, manager of the city's Department of Historic Resources. Several notable losses were revealed last week, including Will Rogers' historic Ranch House. Here are 10 other treasured landmarks destroyed in the fire.
Benedict and Nancy Friedman House, Richard Neutra, 1949, Pacific Palisades
For a young couple who are also writers, Austrian-born architect Richard Neutra, one of the region's best-known designers of midcentury modernist architecture, designed a small sanctuary nestled in the Pacific Palisades bluffs. In classic Southern California fashion, Neutra has removed the boundaries between inside and outside and incorporated a flowing, open layout that allows for a new kind of informal living. For Neutra, the home's ability to connect people with nature, what he called a “joyful dance of interconnectedness,” was of paramount importance. “I could see inside the house clearly,” said son Raymond. He remembers the house that was built when he was a child. “It was a small house, but by opening it up like this, we had much more functional space.” The house was renovated in 2014 by architect Peter Grüneeisen, with a partial second-floor addition. , you can now enjoy a panoramic view of the ocean.
Park Planned House by Gregory Ein, 1946-48, Altadena
Long a land of invention, Altadena has lost some of its notable mid-century landmarks. Conceived by socially minded architect Gregory Ain and landscape architect Garrett Eckbo, Park Planned Homes was one of the first modernist housing developments in the United States. The 28 homes are grouped into two long sloping rows, each opening onto a private garden. Prefabricated homes were designed to connect working families with nature and their neighbors. Laura Begley, who just moved into a house here with her fiancé in December, said she was surprised by the calmness and sense of connection in the cluster. “It was such a beautiful, peaceful space,” Begley said, adding, “We immediately felt like we had a really great community that we were going to fall into.” All but six homes were destroyed.
Other midcentury landmarks lost in the Eaton Fire in Altadena included the Asian-style Row House by early modernist pioneer Harwell Hamilton Harris and the Straub House, home of noted architect Calvin Straub. There are houses etc.
708 House by Eric Owen Moss, 1982, Pacific Palisades
This 600-square-foot home showcases the cheeky creativity of architect Eric Owen Moss's early work, featuring unexpected angles, flying buttresses, and whimsical references to the past. The house's most striking element was its colorful, graphic façade, with the house number 7-0-8 painted on the building's three street-facing walls. Moss called the 708 the “strange” part of his overall portfolio, saying its diverse components act as “a kind of illiterate looking for language.”
Pasadena Waldorf School/Scripps Hall, Charles W. Buchanan, 1904, Altadena
Scripps Hall, which later became the K-8 campus of the Pasadena Waldorf School, was a striking example of the area's Craftsman architectural heritage, characterized by natural materials, handcrafted details, and a close connection to the landscape. Samuel Glaze, who has taught at the school since 1992, noted the Japanese-influenced tower-like roof line and Asian-style landscaping (which had been modified). Designed in 1904 by versatile Pasadena architect Charles W. Buchanan, the building served as the home for members of the Scripps newspaper family and later the Kellogg family, owners of the Kellogg cereal brand. The five-acre property was located on Mariposa Street, known as “Millionaire's Street” in the early 20th century. (Homes along the street that were destroyed in the fire included author Zane Gray's mansion and the Andrew McNally House.) In 1986, Scripps Hall, which was under threat of demolition, was replaced by the Pasadena Waldorf. Purchased by School. “It was a great place to come to work,” Glaze said. “I've always loved climbing the grand staircase.''
Nature Friends Clubhouse, Sierra Madre Valley, 1924
This quaint chalet-style building just celebrated its 100th anniversary and has long brought an Austrian Alpine feel to the San Gabriel Valley. It hosted local theater groups, yoga retreats, artists, and other free spirits, and was primarily home to the local chapter of Nature Friends. Nature Friends is a group founded in Vienna in 1895 to provide its members with a place to enjoy and learn about nature. The terraced wooden structure was hand-built by Austrian and German immigrants, and was built in levels, according to Zach Clark, director of Nature Friends LA. As funds increased, each floor was added. Its quirky details have been added by successive generations, he added. “Over the years, thousands of people have been touched by this magical place,” Clark said, adding that many have already pledged to volunteer to help rebuild. said. “It will need to be made of something more durable,” he says.
William D. Davis Memorial, Charles H. Caison, 1934, Altadena
This rustic two-story building, clad in wood and flagstone, was named for Altadena booster William D. Davis. The facility was built by the Works Progress Administration, which put millions of people to work during the Great Depression. Ansley Davis, associate curator for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, recalls the hunting lodge-style mansion as a “community centerpiece” that hosted summer concerts, camps and her own cousin's wedding. are. “It was really beautiful,” she said. “It's kind of like magic.”
Altadena Community Church, Harry L. Pierce, 1947, Altadena
Built in 1947, the Spanish Colonial Revival church was designed by Los Angeles architect Harry L. Pierce. The reconstruction structure of this area. Judson Studio, a historic craftsman glass manufacturing company in Los Angeles, has created a beautiful stained glass window featuring a colorful rose window depicting Jesus holding a lantern. “Somehow this frugal Congregationalist spent money on the Judson Studio window,” said the studio's pastor, the Rev. Paul Tellstrom, who called Judson the “Tiffany of the West.” “This felt like a very spiritual place for a lot of people,” he added.
Pacific Palisades Business Block, by Clinton Nurse, 1924
The two-story business block was the centerpiece of the original Pacific Palisades development plan by John Charles Olmsted, son of landscape visionary Frederick Law Olmsted (co-founder of Central Park), and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. It was. At one time painted pink, the building was a textbook example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture by Clinton Nurse of the Santa Monica Land & Water Company, which financed the early development of the Pacific Palisades. It reminds me of an outdoor market with shopping, dining and pedestrian access. The Nourse building “was a historic cornerstone of the Palisades,” said Bernstein of the Historic Resources Department.
21640 Pacific Coast Highway, Buff and Hensman, 1969, Malibu
Designed by Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman, renowned creators of modern mansions for Los Angeles' mid-century rich and famous, this home on Malibu's La Costa Beach is a bit quirky. It was essentially an upscale version of a Malibu beach shack. Clad in stacked cedar shingles, it connects to a tropical pool and garden through an unfolding form and oversized windows. But the star of the show here was the panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean.
Corpus Christi Church, A.C. Martin, 1965, Pacific Palisades
Los Angeles firm AC Martin designed much of modern Los Angeles, including landmarks such as City Hall and the May Company Building (now home to the Academy Museum). Expressive modernism, Corpus Christi church design is loosely inspired by classical forms. The building's unique parabolic shape was meant to reflect modern times and bring the congregation together.
Matt Stevens contributed reporting from Los Angeles.
