Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering ISSN: 1346-7581 (Print) 1347-2852 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tabe20 Similarities Between R.M. Schindler House and Descriptions of Traditional Japanese Architecture Jose Manuel Almodovar Melendo, Juan Ramon Jimenez Verdejo & Ismael Dominguez Sanchez de la Blanca To cite this article: Jose Manuel Almodovar Melendo, Juan Ramon Jimenez Verdejo & Ismael Dominguez Sanchez de la Blanca (2014) Similarities Between R.M. Schindler House and Descriptions of Traditional Japanese Architecture, Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 13:1, 41-48, DOI: 10.3130/jaabe.13.41 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.3130/jaabe.13.41 © 2018 Architectural Institute of Japan Published online: 24 Oct 2018. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 1635 View related articles View Crossmark data Citing articles: 1 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tabe20 Similarities Between R.M. Schindler House and Descriptions of Traditional Japanese Architecture Jose Manuel Almodovar Melendo*1, Juan Ramon Jimenez Verdejo2 and Ismael Dominguez Sanchez de la Blanca3 1 Professor, School of Architecture, University of Seville, Spain 2 Associate Professor, Graduate School of Environmental Planning, University of Shiga Prefecture, Japan 3 Ph.D. in Architecture, School of Architecture, University of Seville, Spain Abstract Kings Road House has become an icon of early modern architecture. This innovative house, described by Schindler as "a cooperative dwelling for two young couples", was considered by Reyner Banham to be a totally new beginning. Although many papers devoted to the house have been published, no research has been conducted into its relationship with the interpreted characteristics of Japanese architecture or the sources from which Schindler may have obtained information about Japan in 1921 without ever having traveled to the country. In this paper, the authors hope to clarify the matter and shed new light on some of the elements of Japanese architecture found in Schindler's House, including the aspects of sun and light control. This was done through research into original documents in archives in California and with the help of contemporary simulation tools, duly tested by means of on-site measurements. The results show clear similarities between key concepts of Schindler House and descriptions of Japanese architecture. Some of these concepts have been considered essential elements of Schindler architecture and were subsequently reproduced in other houses in California. Keywords: R.M. Schindler; Kings Road House; Japanese architecture; Southern California Modernism; lighting design 1. Introduction this way, Schindler met Arata Endo, the only architect Japonism was of great interest in the cultural circles to share credits with Wright, and Goichi Fujikura, of Vienna, the city where R.M Schindler qualified as an a recent Cornell University graduate (Fig.1.). Arata architect, and where he was to come into contact with Endo was hired as chief draftsman for the Imperial Adolf Loos and Otto Wagner. Many grand masters of Hotel Project and during his one-year stay in Taliesin the Modern Movement who greatly admired Japanese (1917-1918) he worked with the team responsible for architecture, such as Hermann Muthesius, Walter transforming Wright's sketches into working plans for Gropius, Bruno Taut and Frank Lloyd Wright, visited the Imperial Hotel and into drawings for five Japanese Japan. residences and a theatre. Schindler and Arata Endo Although Schindler had never visited Japan, when maintained a long friendship. More than ten years after he built his first house in Los Angeles in 1921, he their first meeting in Taliesin, Endo wrote to Schindler already knew about Japanese architecture as a result from Japan, recommending him to Takehiro Okami of his collaboration with Frank Lloyd Wright, whose (Schindler Collection, 11-f.109). relation with the Orient has been extensively studied (Nute, 1993). Schindler collaborated closely with Wright in the design and construction of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, among other commissions in Japan. Through him, Schindler met Japanese architects who were invited to Taliesin to collaborate on the Imperial Hotel. In *Contact Author: Jose Manuel Almodovar Melendo, Professor, School of Architecture, University of Seville, Avda. Reina Mercedes 2, 41001 Seville, Spain Tel: +34-954-28-32-20 Fax: +34-954-55-69-72 E-mail: [email protected] Fig.1. In the Center, from Left to Right: R.M. Schindler, Arata ( Received April 12, 2013 ; accepted November 11, 2013 ) Endo and Goichi Fujikura in Taliesin Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering/January 2014/48 41 In 1920, Schindler moved to Los Angeles to One person who did leave written evidence of his supervise the construction of Hollyhock House while interest in Morse's work was Bruno Taut. In his famous Wright was in Tokyo. The initial proposal was that book Houses and people of Japan, Taut reproduces Schindler would visit Japan afterwards, as stated in the some of his illustrations. However, referring to Morse's telegram he sent to Wright in 1921, saying "everything approach to Japanese architecture, he states that "there settled cable instructions Japan trip Schindler" were no important errors […]. Yet while treating the (Inventory FLLW, Box 2-f.7, 31062). During this time same subject, I had not judged it necessary to discuss of constant correspondence with Wright, Schindler the same things as Morse" (Taut, 1958, 256). designed and constructed Kings Road House. When Schindler first published his house inT-square Wright returned to Los Angeles in January 1923, (1932), more than 10 years after its construction, he bringing Kameki and Nobu Tsuchuira, who would made no allusion to Japanese architecture. He defined work with him in Los Angeles and Taliesin for two it as a 'cooperative dwelling for two young couples' years. In this time, they formed part of Schindler's and compared it to a 'camp site'. Although Schindler's circle of friends, attending celebrations at Kings Road work has been comprehensively studied (Sheine, House. After the Tsuchiuras returned to Japan, they 2001; March and Sheine, 1995; Gebhard, 1997; regularly corresponded with Schindler. Park, 2012), in particular Kings Road House (Smith, The Tsuchiuras also had a close relationship with 2010), no study has been made of the relationships Richard Neutra, who they met for the first time in between the spatial features of Schindler House and Taliesin in 1924. In 1925, Richard and Dione Neutra interpreted characteristics of Japanese architecture. moved into Schindler House, where they lived until The authors shall discuss this relevant aspect of the 1930. That year, Neutra made a 3-week trip to Japan, innovative Schindler House, that was considered by which was made possible by his friendship with the Reyner Banham to be a construction that transcends Tsuchiuras and Kokusai Kenchiku's sponsorship. In "anything done by anybody (including himself) before 1921, Neutra had already shown an interest in traveling Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye of 1930" (Banham, 1971). to Japan. Schindler, as a way of helping his old university friend from Austria, wrote a letter to Wright 2. Compositional Scheme in which he commented, "I received a letter from In relation to the scheme of the house, Schindler Mr. Neutra, who is very willing to come to Japan" states in the article published in T-square that "the (Inventory FLLW, Box 2-f.6, 31155a). ordinary residential arrangement providing rooms for Another of Schindler's sources of information specialized purposes has been abandoned. Instead, about Japanese Architecture could have been the each person receives a large private studio, each couple book Japanese Homes and their Surroundings, a common entrance hall and bath. Open porches on written in 1886 by the American scientist, Edward the roof are used for sleeping. An enclosed patio for Morse. This book also could have provided Wright each couple, with an out-of-door fireplace, serves the with comprehensive knowledge of Japanese purposes of an ordinary living room. The form of the architecture before his first trip to Japan in 1905. In house divides the garden into several such private this regard, Nute observes that "several of the positive rooms" (Schindler, 1932). characteristics of the Japanese dwelling highlighted by The house plan, defined by Schindler as "a Morse [have] apparently become central elements in cooperative dwelling for two couples", is very the Prairie House" (Nute, 1993, 44). innovative. He bases the design on L-shaped structures It is possible that Wright met Morse through that delimit the outdoor living spaces that function as Fenollosa, who was the cousin of his first employer, a prolongation of the interior spaces. By using foliage Joseph Lyman. In the Columbian Exposition of barriers and integrating sunken gardens, he not only Chicago in 1893, they were official judges of pottery limits access from the exterior, but also consolidates and fine arts, respectively. In this Exposition, Japan the privacy of these spaces (Fig.2.). constructed the celebrated pavilion known as Ho-o- Den (Phoenix Palace). Morse recommended Ernest Fenollosa as a professor of Philosophy and Political Economics at the Tokyo Imperial University and the two men formed part of a circle of friends who were connected to the Tokyo Imperial University as well as the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The authors have attempted, without success, to ascertain whether Schindler had a copy of Morse's book. However, given his close relationship with Wright and the role played by Morse in the dissemination of Japanese aesthetic ideals in the United States, the authors can assume that he knew the book. Fig.2. Ground Floor Plan 42 JAABE vol.13 no.1 January 2014 Jose Manuel Almodovar Melendo Consequently, there is no direct connection between concrete for the exterior walls), similarly to Morse's the public space and Schindler House.