Architectural, Cultural sights in Los Angeles
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Gehry House
In his creative life before the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Frank Gehry was primarily known as that crazy guy who sculpted houses from chain-link fencing, plywood and corrugated aluminum. A great place to see the 'early Gehry' is his 1979 private home , a deconstructivist postmodern collage that architecture-critic Paul Heyer called a 'collision of parts.' Neighbors were none too pleased about it at first, but that was before Gehry had claimed his spot in the pantheon of contemporary architects.
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Greystone Mansion & Park
Spooky Greystone Mansion, with its stone walls and balustrades, seems more suited to foggy Scottish bluffs than shiny Beverly Hills – even the cleaning crews hurry to clear out by sunset. Why? The gothic-style mansion was the site of the still-mysterious 1929 murder of oil heir Ned Doheny and may be recognizable from Ghostbusters II and The Witches of Eastwick. The home is closed but the gardens and grounds are open. Citywide views from the front patio are stellar.
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Ennis-Brown House
The spectacular Ennis-Brown House is one of Frank Lloyd Wright's four Mayan-inspired 'textile block' houses in LA. Unfortunately, it was deemed unsafe in 2004 and remains closed pending restoration. Wright influenced any number of architects, including Austrian immigrant Richard Neutra, whose nearby Lovell House featured prominently in LA Confidential; it's not open to the public.
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Hollyhock House
Oil heiress Aline Barnsdall commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design this hilltop home in 1919. As happens with rich eccentrics and stubborn geniuses, the project ended sourly and was finished by architect Rudolph Schindler. Due to Wright’s Romanza-style design there’s an easy flow between rooms and courtyards. Note abstract imagery of the hollyhock, Aline’s preferred flower, throughout.
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Eames House & Studio
The striking Eames House & Studio , built in 1949 by Charles and Ray Eames, resembles a Mondrian painting in 3-D. It's still used by the Eames family, but with at least 48-hour advance reservations you can study the exterior, walk around the garden and peek through the window into the kitchen and living room.
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Lummis House
The 1910 Lummis House is the former home of writer, librarian and Arts & Craft pioneer Charles Lummis. It was built largely by hand using local boulders and old rails. Inside is a small exhibit on Lummis, who also founded LA's oldest museum, the nearby Southwest Museum of the American Indian.
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O'Neill House
Also check out the 1988 O'Neill House, a few blocks north of Rodeo Drive. It doesn't have a famous architect, but the free-form art nouveau structure in the tradition of Catalán master Antonio Gaudí is definitely one of the more imaginative structures in Beverly Hills.
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Entenza House
While you're checking out the Eames House & Studio also have a look at the adjacent 1949 Entenza House , a huge gleaming-white jumble by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen; the best view is across the wall from the Eames House garden.
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Lovell House
Frank Lloyd Wright influenced any number of architects, including Austrian immigrant Richard Neutra, whose Lovell House featured prominently in LA Confidential; it's not open to the public.
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Charles Greene's former private residence
Some Greene & Greene homes including Charles Greene's former private residence , line nearby Arroyo Tce and Grand Ave. Pick up a self-guided walking-tour pamphlet at the Gamble House bookstore.
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Gamble House
A masterpiece of craftsman architecture, the 1908 Gamble House by Charles and Henry Greene was Doc Brown's home in the movie Back to the Future. Admission is by one-hour guided tour.
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Schindler House
A point of pilgrimage is the Schindler House, which pioneering modernist architect Rudolph Schindler (1887-1953) made his home. It now houses changing exhibits and lectures.
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Hayden Tract
Architecture fans gravitate to the Hayden Tract , where Eric Owen Moss has turned a worn-out industrial compound into eyepoppingly deconstructivist office buildings.
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Pico House
South of the El Pueblo’s plaza are more historic buildings, including Pico House , the 1870 home of California's last Mexican governor and later a glamorous hotel.
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Bailey House
Close by to Eames House is the Richard Neutra designed Bailey House , which was built from 1946 to 1948.
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