An Experiment of Form in West Hollywood

Also known as the Schindler Chase House or Kings Road House it is an innovative example of early twentieth century architectural exploration. Designed by architect Rudolf Schindler and completed in 1922 in West Hollywood, CA, it still stands today as a pivotal use of space, indoor-outdoor living and new materials. 

Visitors can tour the house, maintained by MAK Center for Art and Architecture, and explore the aggressively human-scale rooms that flow organically from one family’s space to another. 

Inspired by a trip Schindler and his wife, Pauline took to Yosemite’s Curry Village in 1921, the house is meant to be a modern living area for multiple families and without a formal, centralized living area. Full of natural light and large, sliding doors, each family had a hearth, custom bathroom, and small bedrooms. 

Originally denied permits by local planning authorities, Schindler fought for his radical ideas over many trips to the planning office, eventually securing a temporary permit. Once constructed, with a total cost of $12,500, the Schindlers moved in with friend Clyde Chance and his family. Schinlder built custom furniture, built-in book shelves and revolutionary sleeping decks for hot summer nights. 

Over the next few decades many families move in to experiment with Schindler’s vision for multi-family living. Residents included architect Richard Neutra and his wife Dione and son Frank, novelist Theordore Dreiser, and composer John Cage.

Today, it is a wonderful, accessible example of innovative architecture tucked into a bamboo-lined lot–an important reminder of where contemporary architecture came from and where it could still go.