History
Philip Lovell was enchanted with the house and praised his architect publicly. Lovell had previously commissioned architect Rudolf Schindler to build the landmark Lovell Beach House in 1926. Neutra and Schindler were contemporaries in Europe and the Neutras lived with the Schindlers (Schindler House) when they first settled in Los Angeles in 1925. Lovell chose Neutra instead of Schindler to build his Los Angeles home while they were living under the same roof. Neutra was known for his relationships with his clients—he thought of himself as a therapist and the client his patient. He spent time getting to know his clients and analyzed their needs. [4]
The Lovell house was specially designed according to Dr. Phillip Lovell's naturopathic tendencies which included a program or guide to healthy living. The house paid homage to Lovell's desire for exposure to natural lighting. A practice that was established as a cure for illness. The design of the house was fit for the environment and exercise. Through these specified design elements, the house was coined with the term the 'Health House.' [5]
Dr. Philip Lovell's unconventional health philosophies heavily influenced the design and purpose of the Lovell House. Known for his advocacy of natural living, Lovell emphasized the integration of health-focused features such as outdoor spaces for sunbathing, a rooftop solarium, and rooms designed to maximize UV exposure. The home was one of the first in Los Angeles to include spaces dedicated to nude sunbathing, outdoor exercise, and vegetarian meal preparation, aligning with his belief in heliotherapy and drug-free living. [6]
Lovell's health-oriented ideals extended beyond architecture; he was a naturopath and a prominent health columnist for the Los Angeles Times . His columns, lectures, and radio broadcasts popularized alternative health practices in California, and the Lovell House became a physical manifestation of his lifestyle beliefs. This combination of health and architecture marked a significant departure from traditional residential designs of the time.
The Lovell house was an expensive house during the time. Lovell paid his contractor $58,672.32. Leah and Philip Lovell had differing views on what they remembered the cost estimate to be. Philip recalled $37,000, while Leah thought, $48,000. There was still an outstanding fee of $413 for Richard Neutra in 1930, which was apart of the estimated total of $5863. [7]
The Lovell House was purchased in 1961 by Morton and Betty Topper. [8] [9] It was added to the list of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles in 1971.
In 2021, art dealers Iwan and Manuela Wirth purchased the property for $8.75 million, [10] "with plans to bring back its original lustre." [11]
Design
The Lovell House underwent multiple design iterations before its final construction. Early designs included an L-shaped structure descending a hillside in three levels, connected by a long balcony on the third floor. These designs emphasized stepped masses and earth ramps leading to a tennis court, reflecting the natural integration central to Richard Neutra's architectural philosophy. Despite its later designation as the "Health House," none of the initial designs included the extensive exercise facilities originally envisioned by Dr. Lovell.
In its final form, the house incorporated innovative structural elements, such as open-web steel joists and four-inch-square steel posts spaced at five-foot intervals, emphasizing Neutra's mastery of steel construction techniques. While the steel cantilevers appear freestanding, they are supported by the roof structure. The exterior design features horizontal bands of metal lath and white stucco, creating visual rhythm by juxtaposing vertical and horizontal lines. These bands are further enhanced by the interplay of steel-framed windows and screens, which create a modular appearance emblematic of modernist principles. [12]
The 4,800 sq ft (450 m2), three-story house [13] aesthetically follows many of the principles of the International Style. It was included in the 1932 exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York that retrospectively defined the style. In essence it reflects Neutra's interest in industrial production, and this is most evident in the repetitive use of factory-made window assemblies. In fact, Neutra's apprentice Harwell Hamilton Harris suggested that Neutra was drawn to America because of Henry Ford. [14]
The Lovell House design incorporates functional spaces that reflect both modernist principles and the needs of its inhabitants. The main staircase, described as wide and open, connects the living quarters with a spacious area featuring floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows, providing sweeping views of the ocean and city. A centrally positioned fireplace in this space allows guests to simultaneously enjoy warmth and the dramatic evening skyline, exemplifying Neutra's focus on blending comfort with scenic integration.
A dedicated library space for over a thousand volumes showcases adjustable shelving, direct and indirect lighting through a 52-foot trough, and natural materials such as mouse gray carpeting and natural-colored drapes. The library's design includes a cozy corner with access to an outdoor patio and features built-in telephones and furnishings that highlight the forerunner of modern American interior finishes. [15]
The interior reflects Neutra's interest in Cubism, transparency, and hygiene. The "minimal" detailing shows the influence of Irving Gill. In another nod to industrial production, Neutra installed two Ford Model-A headlights in the main stairwell. (The headlights were provided by Neutra apprentice Gregory Ain.) [16] The Historic American Buildings Survey described the Lovell House as "a prime example of residential architecture where technology creates the environment." [17]
The exterior consisted of a lightweight steel frame construction. The building used standard sections that related to the unit plan. The porches and balconies hung down from the roof level. This was done in order to avoid scattering the depth. The walls outside were 3.6" expanded metal reinforced with 1 1/4" of dense concrete walls (using spray-on concrete). The entrance of the house is on the top story, through a terrace. Upon entry, there is a framed view of an extravagant stairway. The main level of the house enclosed the living, dining, and guest rooms. The main level also had the kitchen while the top floor consisted of the family bedrooms. [18]
Richard Joseph Neutra was an Austrian-American architect. Living and building for most of his career in Southern California, he came to be considered a prominent and important modernist architect. His most notable works include the Kaufmann Desert House, in Palm Springs, California.
The International Style is a major architectural style and movement that began in western Europe in the 1920s and dominated modern architecture until the 1970s. It is defined by strict adherence to functional and utilitarian designs and construction methods, typically expressed through minimalism. The style is characterized by modular and rectilinear forms, flat surfaces devoid of ornamentation and decoration, open and airy interiors that blend with the exterior, and the use of glass, steel, and concrete.
Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, was an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architecture was based upon new and innovative technologies of construction ; the principle functionalism ; an embrace of minimalism; and a rejection of ornament.
Rudolph Michael Schindler was an Austrian-born American architect whose most important works were built in or near Los Angeles during the early to mid-twentieth century.
Raphael S. Soriano, FAIA, was a Greek-born American architect and educator, who helped define a period of 20th-century architecture that came to be known as Mid-century modern. He pioneered the use of modular prefabricated steel and aluminum structures in residential and commercial design and construction.
The Schindler House, also known as the Schindler Chace House or Kings Road House, is a house in West Hollywood, California, designed by architect Rudolph M. Schindler. The house serves as headquarters to the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, which operate and program three Schindler sites, and is owned and conserved by the Friends of Schindler House.
Gregory Samuel Ain was an American architect active in the mid-20th century. Working primarily in the Los Angeles area, Ain is best known for bringing elements of modern architecture to lower- and medium-cost housing. He addressed "the common architectural problems of common people".
Julius Shulman was an American architectural photographer best known for his photograph "Case Study House #22, Los Angeles, 1960. Pierre Koenig, Architect." The house is also known as the Stahl House. Shulman's photography spread the aesthetic of California's Mid-century modern architecture around the world. Through his many books, exhibits and personal appearances his work ushered in a new appreciation for the movement beginning in the 1990s.
Hauser & Wirth is a Swiss contemporary and modern art gallery.
The Lovell Beach House is located on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California. The building was completed in 1926 and is now recognized as one of the most important works by architect Rudolf Schindler, second only to the Schindler House, built four years earlier for his family as a show house and studio. Both of these early houses by Schindler are considered landmarks of early modern architecture in America.
Jardinette Apartments, now known as Marathon Apartments, is a four-story apartment building in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, designed by modernist Richard Neutra. It was Neutra's first commission in the United States. In his book Key Buildings of the Twentieth Century, Richard Weston called the Jardinette Apartments "one of the first Modernist buildings in America." It has also been called "America's first multi-family, International-style building."
The Samuel Freeman House is a Frank Lloyd Wright house in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California built in 1923. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The house is also listed as California Historical Landmark #1011 and as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #247.
Lipetz House is a house in Los Angeles designed by Raphael Soriano, and built in 1936.
The Neutra Office Building is a 4,800-square-foot (450 m2) office building in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles, California. The building was owned and designed by Modernist architect Richard Neutra in 1950. It served as the studio and office for Neutra's architecture practice from 1950 until Neutra's death in 1970. The building has been declared a Historic Cultural Monument and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was listed for sale in 2007 at an asking price of $3,500,000.
Iwan Wirth is a Swiss art dealer and the president and co-founder of Hauser & Wirth, a contemporary art gallery.
The Bailey House, or Case Study House #21, is a steel-framed modernist house in the Hollywood Hills, designed by Pierre Koenig. It was registered as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #669, with the endorsement of then-owner Michael LaFetra, the Los Angeles Conservancy, and Pierre and Gloria Koenig.
Neutra VDL Studio and Residences, the home of architect Richard Neutra, is located in Los Angeles, California. It is also known as the Neutra Research House, the Van der Leeuw House, the Richard and Dion Neutra VDL Research House II, or the Richard and Dion Neutra VDL Research Houses and Studio. It was designed by Richard Neutra and his son Dion Neutra. The house is currently owned by California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and is maintained by its College of Environmental Design. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, and was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2016.
Marmol Radziner is a design-build practice based in Los Angeles that was founded in 1989 by American architects Leo Marmol and Ron Radziner. The firm specializes in residential, commercial, hospitality, cultural, and community projects, and offers various design services, including architectural design, construction, landscape design, interior design, furniture design, jewelry design, and modern architecture restoration.
Jack Allen Charney was an American mid-century architect who designed a number of significant buildings in various cities across California, including Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, San Francisco and Long Beach. His designs include the 32-story Sierra Towers in West Hollywood, from 1965.
Michael Rotondi is an American architect and educator. He has been a member of two international practices. He attended the Southern California Institute of Architecture when it began (SCI-Arc) in 1972 and, later, was director of the graduate program there.
