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Richard Neutra: The Mid-Century Modernist

Richard Neutra’s VDL Studio and Residence

A few years ago I had the pleasure of participating in a walking tour of Silver Lake, Los Angeles with a group of friends to explore all the wonderful mid-century modern homes in the area. There are a number of Richard Neutra homes in the area including the Neutra VDL studio and residences. Now closed to the public due to COVID-19, they offer a Matterport tour of Neutra VDL Studios and Residences which is nice introduction to Richard Neutra! I happen to know an individual who was part of the artist residence program in which the artist  creates an art installation while residing on the property. Competing Utopias 2014: An Experimental Installation of Cold War and Modern Design for East and West is one of many “in situ” installations over the years.

I continue to support a summer student; this post was written by guest blogger Emily Milana

Richard Neutra was one of the most influential modern architects of the 20th century. 

Neutra became renowned in North America for his unique mid-century modern designs and his contributions to the International Style school of architecture (Los Angeles Conservatory, 2020). As a proponent of the International Style, many of Neutra’s designs included straight-lined forms and interior spaces with large windows and doors which allowed each space to completely open up onto the exterior landscape (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2020).  While many of Neutra’s original designs were located in sunny southern California – his modernist style substantially impacted residential design throughout North America (Neutra, 2020).

Lovell House Interior, Los Angeles, California

Neutra was born in Vienna in 1892 and began studying architecture at the Vienna University of Technology and continued his studies at the private school of renowned designer Adolf Loos (Goodwin, 2020). After Neutra completed his studies in the early 1920s, he worked as the Chief Architect of the German town of Luckenwalde and as a junior architect at the practice of Erich Mendelsohn in Berlin (Goodwin, 2020). Neutra then emigrated to the United States in 1923 and began working under Flank Lloyd Wright, where he was able to create a reputation for himself by introducing his new-wave modern designs to clients in southern California (Neutra, 2020).  

However, it was only after Neutra opened his own practice in the late 1920s, that his personal architectural style became more defined. Neutra was famous for his ability to intricately weave together steel and glass to construct clean and simple geometric designs, which highly contrasted the mainstream style of the majority of residential design throughout the United States (Goodman, 2020). Consequently, many of Neutra’s designs including the Lovell House in Los Angeles, California and the Kaufmann House in Palm Springs, California – would become the epitome of International Style architecture (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2020). 

The Kaufman House, Palm Springs, California

 Neutra and his colleagues capitalized on the introduction of new building materials and construction technology. Whereas many homes were traditionally built from bricks and stone – most of Neutra’s designs used steel, iron, reinforced concrete and glass which proved to be much more effective building materials (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2020). These new materials allowed Neutra to design houses that had an “airy lightness,” as large open windows and indoor-outdoor spaces brought in ample daylight (Goodwin, 2020). The Lovell House, also called the “Floating House” by some, best exemplified this “airy lightness” as the house was cantilevered on the steep Hollywood Hills (Paragan, 2017).  

According to the Los Angeles Conservatory, Neutra used his architecture to connect his clients to nature. A Neutra scholar, Barbara Lamprecht, explained that his philosophy of “biorealism sought to use biological sciences and architecture – so that design exploited, with great sophistication, the realm of the sense and an interconnectedness to nature that he believed fundamental and requisite to human well-being” (Los Angeles Conservatory, 2020). Neutra’s philosophy is best demonstrated in the Kaufmann House, which was one of his most famous works and was designed for the same man who commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Falling Water” (Thorpe, 2019). The Kaufmann House was perfectly tailored to the southern Californian climate. The house included a flat roof, pale exterior cladding, slatted metal walls and shaded exterior spaces which allowed the homeowner to enjoy the surrounding landscape and views (Cogley, 2018). 

Although Richard Neutra died in the early 1970s, his son and partner Dion Neutra continued to foster his legacy by designing and building homes that were largely influenced by his father’s style (Rozzo, 2019).  The Los Angeles Times described Dion Neutra as an “aggressive and sometimes prickly steward of the Neutra legacy,” as he lobbied and fought for the preservation of many of his father’s works that were threatened by demolition and new development (Rozzo, 2019). However, it is evident that Dion Neutra’s fight was for good reason because many of the remaining original Neutra buildings in the Los Angeles area are still in impeccable shape and have high price tags when listed for sale (Rozzo, 2019).  

As mid-century modern architecture continues to trend across the globe it is quite clear that many modern-day architects will continue to be influenced by Neutra’s unique designs and seamless incorporating of indoor-outdoor living. A quick browse through the works of Toronto’s most popular residential architectural firms such as Paul Raff Studio, Drew Mandel Architects, Hariri Pontarini Architects and Superkul demonstrates that architecture similar to Neutra’s simple, functional and clean modernism has become increasingly popular throughout our city.

 

1960 Richard Neutra Design Interior

If anyone has interest in owning an original Richard Neutra, the Lovell House is currently for sale with the current owners waiting for the right buyer who would lovingly restore and maintain the residence.  

References

(2020, May 29). International Style. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/International-Style-architecture. 

 (2020, June 8). Richard Joseph Neutra. Neutra. https://neutra.org/richard-joseph-neutra/.

(2020, June 8). Richard Neutra. Los Angeles Conservancy. https://www.laconservancy.org/architects/richard-neutra.

Cogley, Bridgert. (2018, February 16). Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House epitomises desert modernism in Palm Springs. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2018/02/16/richard-neutra-kaufmann-house-desert-architecture-palm-springs-modernism-week/.

Goodwin, Dario. (2020, April). Spotlight: Richard Neutra. ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/616668/spotlight-richard-neutra.

Overdijk, Maarten. (2015, Nov. 2 ). Richard Neutra’s Therapeutic Architecture. Failed Architecture. https://failedarchitecture.com/richard-neutras-therapeutic-architecture/.

Rizzo, Mark. (2019, Nov. 25). Architect Dion Neutra, who fought to save his father’s iconic buildings, dies. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2019-11-25/dion-neutra-architect-dead.

Thorpe, Harriet. (2019, Feb. 21). The Architects Who Built Palm Springs: Richard Neutra. Wallpaper. https://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/richard-neutra-modernism-palm-springs.