H is for Historic House
07.18.2023 for Syllabus Project
Unless you live in an expansive, recently-built suburban development or isolated in the vastness of nature, there’s a chance that you live near a time capsule. Often we’d use humdrum words such as “house” or “apartment building” to describe said structures. Curbside, many of these historic properties look no different than they did years ago—perhaps with the exception of a commemorative plaque displayed proudly outside. Your neighboring ticket to the past may serendipitously be a UFO-shaped vessel made from off-the-shelf industrial parts, a self-designed home of a historically-known architect, or a medieval castle. A rare subset of these historic homes have been transformed into museums, opening their doors to the public in various capacities.
I’ve grown to admire these historic house museums for more than what their theoretical principles or building materials relay to us. A visit is a learning experience into the intimate lives of people I’ll never know during an era I can’t live or re-live. In fact, stories about architecture are actually stories about people. These places are glimpses into how people lived during an exact moment and how they preserved particular elements of their dwellings—whether on purpose or by accident—or not. In many cases, someone famous built the residence and/or lived there, improving the odds that it may be preserved.
Over the years, my obsession with these architectural relics has doubled, tripled, even quadrupled. I created driving toursof these locations for others, worked at a particularly famous one, and was cheerfully proposed to at another. It almost feels as though my personal history—alongside the history of other visitors—starts to become woven into the narrative of these homes. We’re adding our little stories to the unraveling threads of the curtains, the cracks in the concrete, and the patina on the stove’s teapot.
Through the following assignment, I want you to become closely acquainted with a historic house museum and peer into the past. Give yourself this opportunity to learn about a new place, discover the identities of the people associated with it, and feel like you are contributing to the longevity of its history.
It’s time to find your time capsule!
Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye outside of Paris.
Assignment
1. Choose a house museum. It can be one conveniently in your neighborhood, or it can be one on the other side of the world—propelling you into a more grand adventure. Check the visiting hours to make sure it is open to the public and, if necessary, make a reservation.
2. Research the basics before visiting. When was the structure built, and by who? Was it a commission for a particular client? Did it have a need to fill?
Case Study: Hearst Castle
In 1919, the affluent William Randolph Hearst hired esteemed architect Julia Morgan (America’s first independently working female architect) to build him an estate in San Simeon, California, on his 250,000 acres of land. What came of the project’s 28 years of construction was multiple grand houses, wings, terraces, Romanesque pools, and a series of shelters for Hearst’s exotic animals. Historic homes carry a complexity that is important to learn before visiting; a little bit of research beforehand will give instant context to the home’s unique elements. In the case of Hearst Castle, you’ll better understand the presence of roaming zebras on site.
Homework: Listen to the New Angle: Voice podcast episode on Hearst Castle’s impressive architect, Julia Morgan, and her extreme dedication to the project.
3. While arriving, pay attention to the home’s surrounding neighborhood. Is the house alone or surrounded? Are other structures built up to its walls, or does it have some breathing space? Is anything built above or below the house? What’s the landscaping like? Are these other structures seemingly the same age as the home, or do they appear very different? What do you think the zoning laws were like at the time, especially compared to now?
Case Study: Kings Road House
When approaching R.M. Schindler’s Kings Road House from the sidewalk, there isn’t much house to see. A thick wall of bamboo trees visually blocks everything except a narrow, sanded driveway. Although there is much mystery from the road, the other three sides of the property contain multi-story contemporary apartment buildings constructed up to the property lines. When the idea of this two-family residence came to R.M. Schindler’s mind in late 1921, the neighborhood was barren. He intended to create a structure that would allow one to enjoy the positives that nature provided while protecting its inhabitants (himself, his wife, and another couple) from the elements. Schindler placed the bedrooms, or “sleeping baskets,” outside on the rooftop to benefit from a night’s rest in the freshness of the outdoors. Just over one hundred years later, the house is noticeably affected by the crowded neighborhood density. Now, we call the area West Hollywood. It’s easy to imagine Schindler’s horror if he discovered that today’s neighboring apartments have a clear view into what would have been very private spaces!
Homework: Take a read of Lyra Kilston’s “Sun Seekers.” The book covers historical stories of the “cure” of California (aka its airy modern architecture, natural health rituals, and plentiful sunshine).
4. Open your eyes (and nose and ears). What do you notice about this home that is different from yours? What’s similar? Is the home fitting a stereotype of its era, or does it feel unique to the time period in which it was constructed? What do various rooms smell like? Based on the decor and stories you’ve learned, can you imagine what fragrances may have filled the rooms? Can you imagine the home in action? Filled with laughter, with music, with light, etc.
Case Study: Salvador Dalí’s House
In 1952, Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí sat in his cave-like, waterfront home in Spain. In his wild and uninhibited diary, he wrote: “A day of oppressive heat. On top of that, I have some Bach playing on my phonograph at maximum volume. My head feels as if it is going to burst. I have knelt down three times to thank God, the painting of the Assumption is proceeding so well. At dusk a warm wind from the south rises and the hills in the distance are ablaze. Gala come back from prawn fishing and sends the maid to tell me to look at the sunset that is painting the sea the color of amethyst, and then bright red. From my window I signal to her that I have noticed it. Gala is sitting in the prow of her boat that is painted Neapolitan yellow. On the beach, the fishermen look at the flaming countryside. I kneel down once more to thank God that Gala is a creature as beautiful as those of Raphael. This beauty, I swear, is impossible to perceive, and nobody has been able to behold it as vitally as I, due to be previous ecstasies over my rhinoceros horns.”
Walking around his home, now a museum, it is easy to envision his wife and artist, Gala, arriving in a brilliant yellow boat. The heat makes sense in the summertime—you can feel it for yourself during a visit. The Bach that he was playing on the phonograph must have been echoing through the tunnels of the house hypnotically. You will gain a deep sense of his adoration of rhinos after coming face-to face with a stuffed rhinoceros head in a dining room.
Homework: Read Dalí’s account of his life and work at his home in Port Lligat, Cadaqués, Spain, in “Diary of A Genius.” You have been warned that this book reaches levels of pure absurdity.
5. Ask Questions. Often, historic house museums have dedicated staff who are eager to explain the property’s history. If this isn’t an option, a self-guided visit is usually supplemented with a brochure, audio guide, or exhibition panels. Ask about the first inhabitants and those who lived there over time. How did the dwellers move about the space? What functions did each room have, and was that typical of the era? Why did the home become a museum? Which elements were changed in order to accommodate the public? What was the neighborhood like when it was built, and how did it change? Were there any political or social movements that influenced the house’s context?
Case Study: Eames House
The Eames House, built by designer couple Charles and Ray Eames in 1949, checks enough boxes to be crowned an ideal house museum. The Eameses designed and built the house for themselves, lived in it for the remainder of their lives, and made plans for it to be eventually opened to the public by their family members. When you visit, you’ll notice that every single object—grand or petite—is in the exact location that the Eameses left them. The doors and windows are operable, the plants are alive, their clothes and cologne are in the closets and cabinets, and the telephone sings whenever someone mistakenly dials their number. The context of the house has clearly changed over time, even if its objects and building materials haven’t. When Charles and Ray purchased the 1.5-acre plot of land in 1945, the space was incredibly remote and inexpensive. Now, the home sits on some of the most cherished soil in Los Angeles: on a cliff perched over the Pacific Coast Highway with a clear view of the ocean and the Santa Monica Pier. The Eames House shares a property with other historically important homes that were also constructed for the post-war Case Study House Program. Alongside the other homes in the program, the Eames House attempted to influence middle-class America to build more economically, intelligently, and with more thought toward the wellness of society. The other houses on-site still exist as private residences, but the view is blocked by immense walls of shrubbery and fencing. Things are much different, but the house remains so similar to its original state that you can nearly convince yourself that Charles and Ray are about to arrive home in their 1940s Ford convertible.
Homework: Watch the 1955 Eames film “House: After Five Years of Living.” It perfectly conveys how Charles and Ray Eames created a warm, humanist home from glass and steel during the post-war years.
Here is a tiny list of well-known historic house museums that you may want to visit, if location and resources permit you to do so:
Eames House in Pacific Palisades, California
Neutra VDL House and Studio in Los Angeles, California
Kings Road House in Los Angeles, California
Gamble House in Pasadena, California
Stahl House in Hollywood, California
The Hollyhock House in Los Angeles, California
Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California
Arcosanti in Yavapai County, Arizona
Donald Judd’s Soho loft in New York City, New York
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s home in Mexico City, Mexico
Salvador Dalí’s House in Cadaqués, Spain
Villa Savoye near Paris, France
Anne Frank’s home in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Finn Juhl’s house and studio in Charlottenlund, Denmark
Alvar Aalto House in Helsinki, Finland