Category Archives: News

News on the foundation and on John Lautner

More of what they are saying

Updated 09/09/2008: addition of Wall Street Journal article

Additional articles on John Lautner and the Hammer museum exhibition:

“John Lautner’s Dazzers Designed for Daily Living”
The Wall Street Journal (09/04/2008), p D7
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122049050523997557.html
view pdf version
Review of exhibit and discussion of Lautner’s works

“Revival of the Swingingest”
The Architect’s Newspaper, California edition (08/13/2008)
http://www.archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=2456
pdf version
Review of exhibit

What are they saying?

Updated 8/22/08- added pdf version of “Visionary Design” – from United Airlines’ in-flight magazine

The following publications have published articles on John Lautner’s work, inspired by the Hammer museum exhibit:

“Bonding Humanity and Landscape in a Perfect Circle”
New York Times (July 31, 2008) Art & Design Section
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/arts/design/31laut.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=lautner&st=cse&oref=slogin
Get the pdf version
Review of exhibit and Lautner’s work, with photographs

“A California Cult Classic”
The Supermelon (July 28, 2008)
http://www.thesupermelon.com/juicy/a-california-cult-classic/
Short blurb on Lautner and exhibit, with pictures

“Beyond Flash and Fantasy”
CA Modern (Summer 2008) 6-11
http://www.eichlernetwork.com/camodern.html (article not available online; can purchase copies of magazine)
Article on Lautner and exhibit

“A Little Piece of Heaven”
Society of Architectural Historians, Southern California Chapter News (July August 2008)
Overview of exhibit and related events and books

“Structuring the Sublime”
art ltd. (July/Aug 2008), 41-45
http://www.artltdmag.com/article.php?misc=search&subaction=showfull&id=1215543564&archive=&cnshow=news&ucat=28&start_from=&
On Lautner’s works in general, incl. interviews with Escher and Olsberg, many pictures

“In the Sky with Diamonds”
Culture + Travel (July/Aug 2008)
Short blurb on exhibit

“City of Angles”
Angeleno magazine (July 2008) p 62+
Article on exhibit; several pictures – download pdf version

“Open House”
WWD.COM (July 14, 2008)
Overview of Lautner and his works, featuring a few quotations from Lautner home owners

“John Lautner, at a remove”
Los Angeles Times (July 14, 2008) architecture review by Christopher Hawthorne
Review of exhibit

“Living in Houses Fit for a Museum”
The New York Times (July 13, 2008) Business Section
Brief blurb on exhibit

“Keeping his eye on earth and sky”
Los Angeles Times (July 13, 2008) Arts & Culture Section
Profile of John Lautner, substantial, with photos

The Week Ahead: July 13-19
The New York Times (July 13, 2008) Arts Section
Short overview of Lautner and the exhibit

“Seeing Things: John Lautner’s Architecture”
The Moment (July 10, 2008)
Short overview of Lautner and exhibit. Seeing Things is biweekly column by curator of architecture and design at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.

“The Architecture of John Lautner”
I.D. (The International Design Magazine) (July 8, 2008)
Short sketch of exhibit, with photographs and a drawing

“The Hammer Explores an Architectural Innovator”
BIZBASH Los Angeles (July 8, 2008)
Short blurb on exhibit

“John Lautner: California Peyzajinda”
Arredamento Mimarlik (2008/06)
Turkish architectural magazine – lengthy article with pictures, written in Turkish

“Frank Escher and Ravi GuneWardena — John Lautner’s architectural heirs”
Los Angeles Times (July 6, 2008) Home & Garden Section
Lengthy article on architectural team of Escher and GuneWardena and their work’s relationship to the work of John Lautner

“The Lautner Club”
944 magazine (issue 7.7 Los Angeles, July 2008), 112-113
Short overview of Lautner and exhibit with references to film and quotations from owners

“A View to Kill For”
Modern Painters (July/August 2008)
Lengthy analysis of films featuring Lautner buildings, reference to exhibit, by Jon Yoder (UCLA doctoral candidate completing thesis on Lautner buildings)

“Outer Space”
Elle Decor (July/August 2008) design dossier
Brief blurb on exhibit

“Living in Lautner”
Departures Magazine (May/June 2008)
Short article on Lautner, with quotations from home owners

“Visionary Design”
United Hemispheres magazine (flight magazine) (July 2008) p 25
Short blurb on exhibit: see pdf version.

“Building Momentum: Looking twice at an iconic L.A. architect”
Los Angeles magazine (July 2008) p 22
Short take on exhibit

“In the modern world”
Dwell (July/August 2008) p 60
Short article on exhibit and Lautner, incl. photos and drawings

“L.A. Dreamer”
Fulcrum (Metropolitan Home supplement) (June 2008) p 14
On the exhibit and Lautner, with drawings and photo of chemosphere

“See” (part of “word”, a travel section)
Metropolitan Home (July/August 2008) p 34
Blurb on exhibit

“The Skywriter from L.A.”
Town & Country (July 2008)
Blurb on exhibit

“From Spacey to Serious”
UCLA Magazine (July 2008)
http://www.magazine.ucla.edu/depts/happenings/john-lautner/
Article on Lautner and the exhibit, featuring quotations from the curators

“Bucky’s Very Large Dome”
Newsweek (June 30, 2008) 48-50
Article on Buckminster Fuller with reference to Lautner and exhibit

“Visions of Time and Space”
Robb Report (June 24, 2008)
http://www.robbreport.com/Categories/art-and-collectibles/NewAndNoteworthy.aspx?id=265
Short blurb on exhibit and Lautner

“Diamonds are forever”
Interior Design magazine (June 2008) 178-180
Article with several photographs on Lautner and exhibit

“Built to Thrill”
ForbesLife (June 2008) p 33
Short blurb on exhibit

“Inside/Out” and “Lautner Unlimited”
C magazine (June/July 2008) 84-97+
Article on James Goldstein and Sheats-Goldstein residence, with follow-up article on Lautner and exhibit. Many photographs.

“Now Viewing: John Lautner”
E (The New York Times Style Magazine) Design & Living Spring 2008 p 26
Short blurb on exhibit

“Previews Los Angeles: John Lautner”
Artforum (May 2008) p 172
Short blurb on upcoming exhibit

“John Lautner designs take the spotlight”
Los Angeles Times (May 4, 2008) Homes of the Week
Article on Schaffer residence, which is for sale

“John Lautner”
Architectural Digest (May 2008) p 284
Short blurb on John Lautner against photo of Acapulco house

“Tinkering with History”
The Architect’s Newspaper (April 30, 2008)
http://www.archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=1632
Article on renovations of significant architectural buildings by various architects. Lautner homes discussed are chemosphere (Malin residence) and “rainbow house” (Garcia residence).

“Just Like Heaven” [Link no longer works]
Men.Style.Com (Online version of Details and GQ)
http://men.style.com/news/blog/2008/04/just-like-heave.html
Blurb on Lautner and exhibit; includes 5-picture slide show

“Restored: John Lautner’s Harpel house” aka “Lautner, lost and found”
Los Angeles Times (April 10, 2008)
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/10/home/hm-harpel10
Article on Mark Haddawy’s recent restoration of the Harpel house in Hollywood.

“John Lautner’s spirit of invention”
Los Angeles Times (April 10, 2008)
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/10/home/hm-lautner10
http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-lautner0410-pg,1,1684503.photogallery
Article on Lautner and exhibit, with photo gallery (online)

“John Lautner’s building timeline”
Los Angeles Times (April 10, 2008)
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/10/home/hm-lautnertime10
Short list of significant dates in Lautner’s life

“View to Kill (For)”
The Men’s Book (Spring-Summer 2008) p 17
Blurb on exhibit

“John Lautner: Dissolving the Confines”
Modernism magazine (Spring 2008) 54-62
Lengthy article on Lautner by Nicholas Olsberg. Includes several photos and drawings
http://publishing.yudu.com/A6znj/MODV11N1/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modernismmagazine.com%2Fviewonline.html&skipFlashCheck=true (requires free subscription to view)

“More best bets” (section)
UCLA Magazine (April 2008)
Blurb on exhibit

“The Choice Shows All Around the Country”
The New York Times (March 12, 2008) Arts Section
List of gallery shows, including Hammer exhibit

“Master of Modernism”
art ltd. (January 2008) 28-32
http://www.artltdmag.com/article.php?misc=search&subaction=showfull&id=1199400992&archive=&cnshow=news&ucat=28&start_from=&
Article on Julius Shulman, including references to the photographer’s work on Lautner buildings

“Lautner Retrospective @ the Hammer”
Archinect (12/11/07)
Article on exhibit and Lautner

“John Lautner’s Visionary Design Recognized in ‘Overdue’ Exhibit”
The San Diego Union-Tribune (December 2, 2007)
Article on exhibit and Lautner, including quotations by architects and others

“Crib Keeper”
Angeleno (September 2007)
Article on Mark Haddawy and his restoration of the Harpel house in Hollywood

“Safe Houses”
E (The New York Times Style Magazine) 8-9
Article on Michael LaFetra and his efforts to preserve significant architecture

“Their Designs Within Reach”
Los Angeles Time (July 5, 2007) Preservation Section
Article on archives of architects’ work, including particularly Ray Kappe and John Lautner

Thank you especially to Morgan Kroll of the Hammer museum for the packet of article copies.

Upcoming tours by MAK Center

Announcement from the MAK Center:

Silvertop photo by Hamid Shams

Please join us for the next tour in the Lautner Home Tour series, on Sunday, August 24, 2008. The series is organized with the Hammer Museum as a counterpart to the exhibition Between Earth and Heaven: The Architecture of John Lautner, on view through October 12 at the Hammer Museum.

Tour III: The Sheats/Goldstein Residence (1963), Sunday, August 24, 2008 is open to members and non-members of the Hammer Museum. Tickets are $55 and include admission to the exhibition, shuttle service from the Hammer, and discounted parking. To purchase tickets, please click here.

Additional Upcoming Tours:

Tour II: Sunday, September 14, 2008

The Jacobsen Residence (1947)
The Harvey Residence (1950)
The Reiner/Burchill Residence – also known as Silvertop (1963)

Tickets for Tour II are $145 per person, per tour.
Tickets include admission to the exhibition, shuttle service, and discounted parking at the Hammer.

To purchase tickets for Tour II, you must be a member of the Hammer Museum at the Contributor level or above. As a special Lautner Tour benefit, when you sign up for Hammer membership you will automatically receive MAK Center Active-level friendship at no additional charge. Up to four (4) tickets can be purchased per tour, per membership. To become a member, please click here. To purchase tickets, please click here.

Tour IV: Sunday, October 12, 2008

The Sheats/Goldstein House (1963) only

Tickets for Tours IV are $55 per person, per tour.
Tickets include admission to the exhibition, shuttle service, and discounted parking at the Hammer.

Please click here to purchase tickets.

No refunds or exchanges. For more information on the tours, please call the MAK Center at the Schindler House at (323) 651-1510 or email office@makcenter.org.

For more information on Between Earth and Heaven: The Architecture of John Lautner, please click here.

The MAK Center is located at 835 N. Kings Road in West Hollywood. Public hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The MAK Bookstore is open seven days a week, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Regular admission to the Schindler House is $7; $6 students and seniors.
Admission and the “Schindler by MAK” guidebook is $17; $16 students and seniors. Admission is free for children under 12 and Friends of the Schindler House, and on Fridays from 4:00-6:00 p.m.


MAK Center for Art and Architecture

at the Schindler House

835 North Kings Road
West Hollywood, CA 90069
323 651 1510 phone
323 651 2340 fax
visit: www.MAKcenter.org
contact: office@makcenter.org


Calling all Lautner associates

An open letter to persons who worked for John Lautner:

We know who some of you are (see the Associates page). We don’t know all of you. And we’d like to. We’d also like to know what projects you worked on while in the office. This information is especially useful for obtaining accuracy in our records and for future applications for cultural heritage monument status.

Thus we ask each of you to write to us at associates (at) johnlautner (dot) org. Tell us, please:

* Your name
* Your present contact information: mailing address, telephone, company, email address
* When you worked for or with John Lautner (range of years or months)
* What projects you worked on during that time. What was your role? What do you remember about them?

If you have particular memories about that time we’d love to hear them.

Schaffer residence for sale

John Lautner’s Schaffer residence in Glendale is for sale. This lovely early treasure (1949) has been recently restored to its original natural redwood and glass beauty. A classic that Frank Gehry and Frank Escher both count among their absolute favorite homes, the residence is so open to the outdoors that it seems at times transparent.

For information on this sale, contact Crosby Doe.

Seeing the exhibit


July 16, 2008 (John Lautner’s birthday)

The Hammer museum accommodated huge crowds Saturday night, at a cocktail reception for Lautner home owners, Foundation members, Hammer exhibit personnel, and a wealth of other Lautner enthusiasts and donors. Attendees were invited to view the exhibit prior to its official opening Sunday afternoon, and many hundreds did so, to the extent that there was a constant line to get in.

The exhibit is comprised of three main elements:

* Plans laid out on slanted boxes, with corners taped (preservationists made sure the tape does not actually touch the paper) like they would be on a drafting table. Thick sheets of clear acrylic protect the plans, so visitors can lean on them, look closely, show others details in a way that is much easier than if they were mounted on the wall.

* Large-scale models of six “representative” buildings. The models are all partial so that visitors can look through them and get an idea of how it would feel and look to be inside the building itself. To complete this experience viewers can see a photographic backdrop (projected on the wall) that emulates what would actually be visible from that location.

* Film loops of the six houses, shot under the direction of Murray Grigor. The loops take viewers into and through the buildings, giving a sense of being there that would be more difficult to convey with still photographs.

A partial list of articles on the exhibit:

Entrance fees to the exhibit vary:

$7 adults

$5 seniors (65+) and UCLA Alumni Association Members with ID

FREE for Hammer Members, students with ID, UCLA faculty and staff, visitors under 17

FREE every Thursday for all visitors

The exhibit will be open until October 12. Visit the Hammer website for up-to-date information:

Hammer Museum Exhibition – “Between Earth and Heaven: The Architecture of John Lautner”

If you have seen the exhibit and would like to share your impressions, please let us know by email: comments@johnlautner.org. The Foundation will offer a compilation of comments at a later date.

Photograph by Dorothy Tomilson

John Lautner Foundation members invited to special reception

The Hammer Museum is inviting members of the John Lautner Foundation to an exhibit reception on July 12, in the evening. If you are a member you should have received an invitation already or will in the next few days. If you join now your name will be forwarded to the Hammer and an invitation will be sent to you. You must have an invitation to be admitted. Please note that any memberships received after July 8 are not likely to be in time to get an invitation.

Tour firm offers single-day Lautner tour

Tours d’Art Art and Architecture Tours is offering a one-day tour to be held Friday, July 18, 2008. The tour is to include visits to the Sheats-Goldstein residence, the Harpel residence (recently renovated), the Sheats apartments (aka “L’Horizon”), and the current television studio, which is a remarkable replica of the Malin residence (aka “chemosphere”).

Space is limited. Contact Karen Bergenthal through her website, Tours d’Art, for details and to register if there is still space available.