Wright Chat

DavidC · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Posts: 7183 Location: Oak Ridge, TN

John Lautner’s Wolff House in the Hollywood Hills seeks $6.5 million

David

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18272 Location: San Francisco

Is that deck bench in photo 5 really of the same sheet metal as the rest of the enclosure ?

This idiosyncratic house must be difficult to photograph convincingly. It is useful to hear that Lautner's client wanted something Wrightian---apparently.

S

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18272 Location: San Francisco

Images from Lautner's and Hess's books.

Lautner's description of the project:

Color photos © Alan Weintraub

Roderick Grant · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 9595

Yes, the metal is the same throughout.

This house has been through very few ownerships, possibly only 3, suffering no indignities that I can see,
other than the replacement of the concrete railing on the cantilevered terrace with glass, which is no improvement.

The original client lived there until his death in the late 70s or early 80s. In the 90s, when a few of us FLW fans were taking an impromptu tour of LA architecture,
an elderly man owned the house. He said he was the second owner. Very nice gentleman, but wouldn't let us in.

The house was featured early on in HB. One of my favorite Lautner designs.

Matt2 · Joined: 30 Dec 2018 Posts: 170

Always loved this house...perhaps because the interior seems so thoroughly protected. Of course, that makes the exterior appear as a bit of a bunker with all that concrete. I'm tempted to pose as a millionaire so I can request a tour.

Roderick Grant · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 9595

Matt, drive to the north end of La Cienega at Sunset Blvd., go up into the hills on Miller Drive,* wend your way through some curves, to a lot just past 1385 Miller,
a 4-story stucco box, from which position you can view the downhill side of Wolff. Then proceed to Hedges Place, the next left, for a glimpse of the entrance façade.

* This is a tricky intersection to navigate from La Cienega. It would be easier to reach Sunset by way of Crescent Heights, turn left, and you get a straight shot at Miller Drive 5 blocks west.

In the 80s, this house sold for just over $300K.

Tom · Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 8:58 pm Post subject:

Wow
Say plan north is top of page
then do I understand correctly
that the main entry to this house
is down a flight of steps from the north west corner
landing in the living room?

Pretty cool how he built around all those trees
... love the plunge pool.
_________________
"taste is less important than non-conformity"
FLLW

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18272 Location: San Francisco

It would be lovely to see another section through the house, one that took in all the stairs and steps.

The remaining Weintraub photos in the Hess/Weintraub monograph:

3

4,5

6,7

photos © 1999 Rizzoli International Publications, Inc

Tom · Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2019 1:42 pm Post subject:

That shot helps.
I think the steps coming down behind that fireplace must be the main entry stair.

The stone is veneer on concrete, right?
Looks great.
_________________
"taste is less important than non-conformity"
FLLW

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18272 Location: San Francisco

In the first plan above, at street level, the row of diagonally-placed low piers that appears in the Weintraub #3 photo are visible---but
the adjoining steps seem not to have been drawn. Unfortunately, the section view was cut at a point beyond those (and other) stairs . . .

So, the entry sequence as built is, first, a short exterior flight from the carport, then indoors and down a longer flight. If the plan draw-
ings omit that first flight, then the design was changed at some point, perhaps to lower the whole construction relative to street level ?

A related element visible on the plan but not in photos (here) is what appears to be a group of concrete (?) planks, their ends lopped
at diagonals (reminiscent of other paving "bars" in Lautner houses, such as Schaffer)---perhaps an extension of the carport paving ?

S

Roderick Grant · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 9595

Tom, the stair behind the fireplace goes up to the guest addition. The main stair is to the right of the fireplace in the photo, out of sight. In the plan, it is quite obvious.

Lautner's plans tend to be messy and hard to read. There was a plan in the HB article drawn by the wonderful Madeleine Thatcher, who had the job I always wanted.

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18272 Location: San Francisco

Bingo: https://www.midcenturyhome.com/john-lautner-wolff-residence/

Perhaps the second and third photos show the addition ?

S

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18272 Location: San Francisco

. . . . . .

Wish I knew what magazine the article appeared in . . .

S

Reidy · Joined: 07 Jan 2005 Posts: 1541 Location: Fremont CA

This house was in the 1998 movie Twilight, along with Oboler and the Cedric Gibbons house in Santa Monica Canyon.

Roderick Grant · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 9595

SDR, yes, the second and third photos are views of the guest wing. No plan for this addition has been published, as far as I know. The stair behind the living room fireplace originally led to an outdoor space off to the side of the main entrance.

The only word I can read is "January." So we know what month the article appeared. Other than HB, I have never seen an article on the house. The plan included looks like Thatcher's work, however, so it might be HB from the 60s (before construction of the guest wing in 1970).

What I wonder about is how Wolff and Lautner got away with that staircase!