Schlagwort-Archive: Frank Lloyd Wright

On the spot

Frank Lloyd Wright, George Sturges House, 1939, 449 North Skyewiay Road, Brentwood, Los Angeles

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George Sturges House

We visited the George Sturges House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939 rather spontaneously in the evening short before sunset. As we arrived we were not even sure if the house was inhabited or not.

From the internet, we had learned that it has been a difficult case to sell the house in the past. After the deaths of its last owners Jack Larson and James Bridges the house descended into their foundation. In 2016, the Los Angeles Modern Auction announced to put the house up for auction. More than 100 potential buyers viewed the property but in the end no qualified bidder was found.

George Sturges House

Our little gathering in front of the house must have drawn the attention of one of the neighbours. First, we were not sure if he was pleased to see us standing and parking in the street, but luckily, he was very interested to find out why we visited this landmark. He told us about the immense problem of selling the house, so the story we have read on the internet became more vivid. He updated us with the news that some weeks ago the house had finally been sold. He believed that the reason why it took so long to find a new buyer was the humidity the house suffers from, especially in the lower level where the chimney is grounded.  In addition to the bad condition the expected price was set too high which might have been a crucial factor, too. The fact that the house was finally sold made him very happy since he really appreciated living next to a Frank Lloyd Wright house; ideally next to one that is well taken care of.

After the little chat we had a closer look at the house itself. It was pretty much equivalent to the pictures we had in mind. The nautical connotation became visible immediately, since the cantilevered balcony faced the street. While standing beneath the balcony the altitudes proportions of the dwelling were easier to understand – it was very impressive and I felt very small in contrast to the big balcony dominating the lot. Nonetheless it was difficult to conceive the whole setup, since the house respectively the site seemed somehow enclosed, even though there was no fence or wall. Instead the plants next to the street, but also the heightened building itself in connection to the sloping road and even the long driveway up to the house amplified the feeling of inaccessibility.

balcony from below the street

Regarding the fact that with only about 110m2 the living space is rather small the whole property and the house itself seemed a lot bigger than that. I could imagine that this results from the lot being situated at the corner of the street. In contrast to the neighbouring houses I had the feeling that it could unfold. Somehow it seemed to be more open to the public than the surrounding houses.  It was not confined by a real enclosure, but was still not accessible due to its construction resembling a nautical fortress.

Elena Schmidt

 

All pictures are taken by the author.

Abstracts

Frank Lloyd Wright, George Sturges House, 1939, 449 North Skyewiay Road, Brentwood, Los Angeles

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Geoge Sturges House

In times of great changes in the 1930s, driven by internationalization and industrialization, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) conceived the ‘Usonian Home’ (as for ‘United States-ian’). This era was dominated by interest in the technical side of structural solutions for architecture and cantilevering. The idea of the Usonian House concept was to build typically small, single-story housings which should bring modern architecture to the American middle-class. According to Wright, the nation’s greatest achievement was the formation of a broad middle-class. He believed that his Usonian houses, characterized by an open plan and ‘native’ materials like brick, stone and wood, would be the ideal model for simple, healthy and especially affordable dwellings for the common man. The Usonian houses have certain features in common: They are often L-shaped and equipped with solar heating and natural cooling. Furthermore, they often display overhanging roofs or balconies as well as a natural lighting through clerestory windows.

George Sturges House

The Sturges Residence was, like Wright later said, ‘one of the simplest things we have done and one of the best’ regarding the Usonian House idea. The story of the George Sturges Residence began in 1938, when the engineer George Sturges and his wife Selma read the magazine ‘Architectural Forum’ whose January issue discussed Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. They were particularly interested in the low-cost houses, including the plan of the Jacobs Residence in Madison, Wisconsin. The Jacobs Residence is considered by most to be the first Usonian house. For the future home of Herbert and Katherine Jacobs Wright conceived a modest single-story structure measuring 140 m2 inside. The exterior appears in a combination of red brick, horizontal wooden boarding and glass doors citing the Prairie school that is usually marked by the integration with the landscape through horizontal lines, natural materials like brick or wood and flat or hipped roofs.

George and Selma Sturges decided to send Wright a letter of inquiry, and within a few months the designs for their future home were finished. Wright built the house in 1939 with the help of his apprentice John Lautner, who later became a renowned architect himself. The George Sturges Residence is the only example of a Usonian house in Los Angeles and is located in the Brentwood Heights neighbourhood of Brentwood. With a living space of about 110 m², the house is rather small, but well organized. Featuring a rectangular ground plan the living room with a dining area takes about one third of the living space. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a small storage room  take the two other thirds. A cantilevered terrace extends the space broadly, since the terrace circuits almost the whole sphere. The balcony emphasizes the dramatically situated house, since it seems to be soaring over the hillside. In combination with the panoramic deck on top of the house the long horizontal lines of the terrace give the building the look of a ship or an aircraft in motion which symbolizes the then-fascination with speed and machines.

Wright chose concrete, steel, brick and redwood as materials. The wooden siding and the wooden trellis hanging over the terrace are remnants of Wright’s Prairie style period of the early 20th century, noticeable also in the Jacobs Residence. The Sturges house’s interior is dominated by redwood walls, including the ceiling leading to nautical associations, too.

Apart from creating an affordable and fitting house for the middle-class, it was Wright’s aim to establish the features of industrialization on the construction site. He believed that the use of machines should transform architecture. He recommended the full use of the new technologies, but at the same moment he rejected the idea of machinistic aesthetics renouncing pure concrete surfaces or steel frames. Instead, he concentrated on the native materials like wood or brick with warm tints emanating homely feelings.

Elena Schmidt

 

All pictures are taken by the author.

 

Sources:

Twombly, Robert C.: Frank Lloyd Wright. His Life and his Architecture, New York 1971.

Zevi, Bruno: Frank Lloyd Wright, Zürich 1981.

http://fortune.com/2016/02/04/frank-lloyd-wright-sturges-house/

https://la-confidential-magazine.com/frank-lloyd-wrights-sturges-house-goes-up-for-auction

http://www.lasavvytours.com/georgesturgeshouse.htm

https://lamodern.com/frank-lloyd-wright-sturges-residence/frank-lloyd-wright-and-the-making-of-the-george-d-sturges-residence/