Past Watch Site

Hailed as a masterpiece of early modern architecture, the Schindler Kings Road House & Studio exhibits a radical rethinking of conventional domestic space. Built in 1922 by the esteemed modern architect and Viennese émigré, Rudolph M. Schindler, the house features an inventive integration of the garden as living space, and its salon hosted numerous progressive art, music, and political gatherings. The house was a starting point for Schindler’s realization of fluid indoor/outdoor living, as well as an ongoing reference point, for the development of California Modernism. The Schindler House was owned and occupied by the Schindler family from the time of its completion until its acquisition in 1980 by Friends of the Schindler House. Since 1994, the house has served as the primary facility of the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, L.A. Today the Schindler House remains a site for progressive art and thought, and is regarded as one of Los Angeles’s most beloved architectural and cultural landmarks.

Since its listing on the 2002 Watch, the MAK Center for Art and Architecture has been able to secure added funding to support conservation efforts and to develop a planning conservation document. Through Friends of the Schindler House and the MAK Center, restoration of the Schindler House continues.

The Schindler House is unique within the history of California Modernism and among Los Angeles residential sites designed by Schindler. The creation of an architectural space for communal living makes it one of the most articulate expressions of Schindler’s vision. The house is the only residential site designed by Schindler that is open to the public on a regular basis. As such, it provides a critical and unique study resource within the local, national, and international architectural communities.

DIG DEEPER

California Moderne
Young and Defenseless

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