Saturday, March 31, 2001

Wednesday, April 4, 2001

Limit: 22 people

This tour is not wheelchair accessible

Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis-Brown House (1924), located in East Hollywood, is one of the most unusual of his California designs. In it, Wright combined elements from his past work with a new vocabulary created specifically for the sun-drenched, slightly rugged topography of Southern California. Aware that his client shared his affinity for Mayan art and architecture, he drew inspiration from that culture's highly ornamented and organized buildings. The Ennis-Brown House is one of the first residences constructed from concrete block. The wisteria-motif glass mosaic above the living room fireplace is the remaining extant example of only four art glass mosaics Wright ever designed. Built for Mabel and Charles Ennis, it was purchased by Augustus O. and Marcia Brown in 1968. In 1980, Brown donated the house to the Trust for Preservation of Cultural Heritage. It was renamed the Ennis-Brown House in recognition of that gift. Restoration work continues on the building and Brown has been designated curator of the property.

Our second visit is to the Rudolph Schindler residence and studio in West Hollywood. The Schindler studio-residence was built in 1922 on Kings Road for the Schindlers and R.M.’s engineer colleague, Clyde Chase. The house's design addressed architectural problems involved with new methods of construction, a low budget, organization of living space, aesthetics, and a new life philosophy in a revolutionary manner. In many respects, the Schindler-Chase house marks the beginning of modern architecture in California. The house was built according to the life philosophy of Pauline Schindler and a rather optimistic appreciation of the usually mild Southern Californian climate. Few materials were used: concrete, wood, glass, and canvas. It was important to Schindler to integrate the natural properties of the materials into the design of the building. The building sits directly on a concrete slab, which serves as foundation and floor, avoiding the expense of excavation. Concrete was poured into wooden molds to form panels that were then tilted up to form walls. Three-inch glass strips separate the panels. A wooden frame solidifies the structure. Each adult was accorded a private studio for work and play. Roofed sleeping baskets were the only living quarters above ground level. In hopes that shared cooking duties would reduce their drudgery, a common kitchen was shared by the occupants. Living areas are delimited by hedges and differing garden levels, no less complexly conceived and structured than the enclosed spaces.