Joseph Eichler Sah/Scc Lecture and Tour: Saturday, September 15Th
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SAH/SCC TAV. F TA^VE MIST-'--. l^Hl : TA^ F; H ,Vi ITA'i V j^6T^ UyriT^f lRMlJA^ENU-.TA':^UTiUITA-:. 11 F. M I TAi^Y E^tU^iT AjJ^ I T11^ ^ F V-'w W I TA _ I ... I .1- 4-1 .JTW^ITAP f if-Wi A!l\N^A#WriLiTAi; Pipsi-. W. yTTft A N I>#IA FlIRtsJITAS VENUf-.TAt. i-JTILiX&b Fit- . ST A: STAf I KII I JA S II. N iliiJ\.-': TAS VENUSTASi UTI A - J A i C' ^-i^' '-P'- ' ^A- ••' ^ u'ujTA C H A r 1 £ K STA- iHwf AS. IENA'^S RllTAf. VENUSifAS UTI post office box 5 6 4 7 8, Sherman oaks, co 9 1 413 8 0 0.9 SAHSCC www.sahscc.org U.S. Postage O Joseph eich/er lecture and tour FIRST CLASS MAIL O president's letter PAID CN Pasadena, CA Pemiit No. 740 o 4-' iconic la tour pa^3 D events calendar pages 4^5 DO LU O D architectural exhibitions bookmarks page 7 >^ CN The living room area and outdoor view of (he Eichler Home in the Fair Haven development in the city of Orange. (Photo. John Berky) MODERNISM FOR THE MASSES: JOSEPH EICHLER SAH/SCC LECTURE AND TOUR: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH Moreover, Eichler Please join the SAH/SCC for a rare opportunity to Homes were marketed learn alDOut and experience visionary developer not merely as Joseph Eichler's residential communities for residences, but as a modern living. Modernism for the Masses will "New Way of Life." be held on Saturday, September 15th, in the city In recent years, of Orange. The day will begin at 10AM with a Eichler Homes have lecture by author and noted Eichler expert Paul been rediscovered by a Adamson at Chapman College. Tour-goers will group of enthusiasts for then have the opportunity to visit the interiors of whom the Modernist multiple homes in three nearby Eichler tracts that ideas of mobility, self- feature designs by award-winning architects Jones expression, and and Emmons, Anshen and Allen, and Claude empathy with nature Oakland and Associates. The tour will be a "self- are as appropriate driving" event according to provided maps and today as during the late directions. '50s and '60s when the Eichler Homes are the rare example of homes were first built. developer-created housing that offered the Interestingly, today's opportunity to experience a modern way of life Eichler owners are a previously inaccessible to the average home new generation of the buyer. Contrary to the popular wisdom of the diverse and progressive time, Eichler sought the guidance of progressive individuals Eichler A wew of the play room in one of the Eichler Homes from the Fair Haven tract, from a brochure designers and together they created a originally marketed to. promoting the development. Current owners speak enthusiastically of the prototypical design methodology that was participants an opportunity to compare the natural sense of "community" that pervades the exceptional for being technologically inventive, evolution of plans by A. Quincy Jones, Frederick developments—often an elusive concept in climatically attuned, and socially responsive. Emmons, Robert Anshen, Steven Allen, and today's world of gated neighborhoods and new Claude Oakland. urbanism. Eichler Homes have achieved national honors, Eichler Homes are known for open plans such as the American Institute of Architects Sunset centered around generous atriums, their magazine awards of merit for outstanding design in expansive use of glass, the clear delineation 1956,1957, and 1959, as well as the House & between public and private zones, and the Home magazine award of merit in 1958, for their integration of the automobile. The Eichler outstanding contribution to quality housing. construction method—a post-and beam system Tickets for this all-day event are $35 for SAH/ atypical for residential building at the time— sec members and $45 for non-members. economized on materials and proved efficient Capacity is limited, and ticket orders will be filled for the builders. on a first-come, first-sen/ed basis. The day will start To provide a context for the home tour, with a lecture, with homes open for touring Modernism for the Masses will begin afterward. Tour participants will be responsible for at Chapman College with a lecture by Paul driving themselves between open locations. Lunch Adamson. Mr. Adamson has been is on your own, with many options in the studying the Eichler communities in Northern surrounding area. Carpooling is encouraged. Mail California for years and will soon publish a book in the application on page 8 to reserve your entitled Building the California Dream: The tickets. Eichler Homes. This event is being organized by SAH/SCC Featured residences on the tour will include board member Jean Baaden. For additional the finest examples of homes from all three of information contact, [email protected] or \fiew ot the oean and patio area at one of the the original architectural firms. The tour will give 800.9SAHSCC. Eichler homes at the Fair Haven tract in the city of Orange. _ • ; I N U STAq :.'Tu UTICITAE F IRMLTAS VE.NUSTAS VE VENUSTAS -I S VE.NUSTAS SAH/SCC NEWS is published bi-monthly by the Society of Architectural Historions/Southern California Perhaps we're all feeling a bit of museum fatigue after two astounding exhibitions earlier this Chapter. Subscription is a spring—the Getty's "Shaping The Great City, Modern Architecture in Central Europe, 1890-1937" benefit of membership. and MOCA's "The Architecture of R.M. Schindler,"—and now we have "Frank Gehry, Architect" showing this summer at the Guggenheim in New York. Editor: Julie D. Taylor Associate Editor: Linda Won With all this activity, it might be easy to overlook "L'Esprit Nouveau: Purism in Paris, 1918- Assistant Editor: Lauren Hirigoyen 1925," showing at LACMA, but this exhibition should not be missed. Administration: Arline Q. Chambers While the Swiss architect Le Corbusier is well-appreciated for his pivotal role in the development of Modern architecture, with buildings such as the Villa Savoye (1927-29) and the seminal text Vers Information and ads for the newsletter should une Architecture (1923), the exhibit gives us the earlier development of his ideas through painting. be sent three weeks before the issue dote. /ssue Deadline In Paris, Le Corbusier, who painted under his birth name Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, joined with September/October 2001 August 10th painter Amedee Ozenfant to found the movement Purism, which sought fo portray objects in their November/December 2001 October 10th ideal or "pure" form, absent of social or emotional content. Le Corbusier was particularly compelled by obj^t types (typical objects), such as wine bottles, Please send all newsletter materials to smoking pipes, and guitars. They appealed to him because they weren't self-consciously "designed," the attention of the editor: but rather they evolved over a long period of time. In Le Corbusier's mind, they had achieved their Julie D. Taylor, Editor perfect form; they were timeless. SAH/SCC News The paintings are particularly illuminating because they depict qualities he sought to achieve in P.O. Box 56478 architecture: timeless, perfect, and typical. In this same spirit, he peppered the journal L'Esprit Sherman Oaks, CA 91413 Nouveau with images of American grain elevators. 800.9SAHSCC (800.972.4722) With great ambition, LACMA has reconstructed the interior of a portion of Le Corbusier's L'Esprit Newsletter telephone: 310.247.1099 Newsletter fox: 310.247.8147 Nouveau Pavilion of 1925. Only a smattering of photographs and a few simple floor plans remain as Newsletter e-mail: jtaylorpr(a)usa.net evidence, but the reconstruction is immensely enlightening. The bright, crisp interior would appear quite comfortably in a design journal today: a testament to both Le Corbusier's avant-gardism and Tour and Event Information: .800.9SAHSCC or our own retro-culture. visit http://www.sahscc.org. The book-length exhibition catalog also makes a significant contribution, with its first-ever English SAH/SCC ExecuHve Board translation of Ozenfant and Le Corbusier's 1918 manifesto Apres le cubisme (After Cubism). Acting President: Anthony Denzer "L'Esprit Nouveau: Purism in Paris, 1918-1925," runs through August 5th at LACMA . Acting Vice President: Sion Winship Membership: Merry Ovnick —Anthony Penzer Treasurer: Rina Rubenstein Members-ot-Lorge: Jean Clare Baoden; John Berley; A GRATEFUL GOODBYE TO GRACE John Ellis; Alex Meconi; Cora Mullio; Mark Nichols SAH/SCC Advisory Boord Have you ever wondered how your SAH/SCC inquiries, renewals, and event reservations get to the Ted Bosley, Ken Breisch, Stephen Horby, Elizabeth right party? For the past several years, Grace Samudio has served as our behind-the-scenes McMillian, Rochelle Mills, Claire Rogger, Richard C. administrative staffer. She has picked up the mail at our post office box, routed inquiries and tour Rowe, Nancy Smith, Ted Wells, Robert Winter reservations to the appropriate board member, sent membership renewals to the membership secretary, and forwarded payment information to the treasurer. She also retrieved and relayed Grant Barnes Le Roy Misuroca Kathleen Bixler messages left on our telephone message center. Grace has been the mainspring that makes our Susan W. Monteith Mary Dutton Boehm Douglas M. Morelond organization tick. Marie Botnick Sara. G. Muller Chemoff Grace has been conscientious, diligent, patient, and a good friend to SAH/SCC. As she leaves her Bill Bowling Daniel T. Muhoz Ruth Bowman position with us, we salute her and wish her good luck. Many, many thanks, Grace! Mark Nichols Lynn Marie Bryant Peter A. Nimmer Gerald & Bente Buck John M. Nisley Bonnie Burton Thomas O'Connor SKIRBALL CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY Pamela Burton Anne Otterson WITH DEDICATION OF AHMANSON HALL Miriam & Sam Campbell Francis Packer Wendy Carson Helen & David Palmer The Skirball Cultural Center recently celebrated its fifth anniversary with Robert Jay Chattel C.E.