Collection by Heather Corcoran

A Midcentury Modern Architecture Lover's Travel Guide to Los Angeles

Design lovers with wanderlust will find inspiration in the new book "Mid-Century Modern Architecture Travel Guide: West Coast USA," out October 24, 2016 from Phaidon. The 376-page tome travels from the Pacific Northwest to San Diego, stopping at 254 of the West Coast's most famous modern buildings. Here, a few favorites from Los Angeles. phaidon.com/mid...

Chemosphere

7776 Torreyson Drive, Los Angeles

Cantilevered over the edge of a steep slope in the Hollywood Hills, John Lautner's 1960 creation has been compared to a flying saucer. The eight-sided house is supported by a concrete column, one of several ambitious technical decisions Lautner used to create this spectacular home. 

Photography by Darren Bradley
Chemosphere 7776 Torreyson Drive, Los Angeles Cantilevered over the edge of a steep slope in the Hollywood Hills, John Lautner's 1960 creation has been compared to a flying saucer. The eight-sided house is supported by a concrete column, one of several ambitious technical decisions Lautner used to create this spectacular home. Photography by Darren Bradley
Sheats Goldstein House 

10104 Angelo View Drive, Los Angeles

John Lautner's concrete masterpiece is one of the most dynamic examples of organic architecture to emerge from the 1960s—no wonder it's the first piece of architecture in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. There's an added bonus for art lovers here: a "Skyspace" by artist James Turrell. 

Photography by Darren Bradley
Sheats Goldstein House 10104 Angelo View Drive, Los Angeles John Lautner's concrete masterpiece is one of the most dynamic examples of organic architecture to emerge from the 1960s—no wonder it's the first piece of architecture in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. There's an added bonus for art lovers here: a "Skyspace" by artist James Turrell. Photography by Darren Bradley
Schindler House

835 North Kings Road, West Hollywood

With its ample glazing and indoor/outdoor flow, Rudolf Schindler's 1922 Kings Road House set the stage for the modernist movement that would follow it. The house is open to the public. 

Photography by Darren Bradley
Schindler House 835 North Kings Road, West Hollywood With its ample glazing and indoor/outdoor flow, Rudolf Schindler's 1922 Kings Road House set the stage for the modernist movement that would follow it. The house is open to the public. Photography by Darren Bradley
Cinerama Dome 

6360 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles

Reaching a height of 70 feet, the Cinerama movie theater in Hollywood, designed by Welton Becket & Associates in 1963, was the world's first concrete geodesic dome. Today it remains a charming place to catch a flick.

Photography by Darren Bradley
Cinerama Dome 6360 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles Reaching a height of 70 feet, the Cinerama movie theater in Hollywood, designed by Welton Becket & Associates in 1963, was the world's first concrete geodesic dome. Today it remains a charming place to catch a flick. Photography by Darren Bradley
In the middle of the 20th century, European modernism found a uniquely American expression in the roughhewn topography of the West Coast. From Seattle to San Diego, Sam Lubell's new book, "Mid-Century Modern Architecture Travel Guide: West Coast USA," explores 254 examples of exceptional architecture—some of them hidden in plain sight.
In the middle of the 20th century, European modernism found a uniquely American expression in the roughhewn topography of the West Coast. From Seattle to San Diego, Sam Lubell's new book, "Mid-Century Modern Architecture Travel Guide: West Coast USA," explores 254 examples of exceptional architecture—some of them hidden in plain sight.
Ennis House

2607 Glendower Avenue, Los Feliz, Los Angeles

Inspired by Mesoamerican temples, the 1924 Ennis House is no stranger to the spotlight: it's appeared in films including "Blade Runner" and "Day of the Locust." Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his son Lloyd, the house is made of 27,000 patterned textile concrete blocks.

Photography by Darren Bradley
Ennis House 2607 Glendower Avenue, Los Feliz, Los Angeles Inspired by Mesoamerican temples, the 1924 Ennis House is no stranger to the spotlight: it's appeared in films including "Blade Runner" and "Day of the Locust." Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his son Lloyd, the house is made of 27,000 patterned textile concrete blocks. Photography by Darren Bradley
Norms

470–478 North La Cienega Boulvard, Los Angeles

Designed by Armet & Davis in 1957, Norms is one of the most famous examples of Googie architecture, a midcentury movement of playful futurist architecture.  The diner was recently named a Historic-Cultural Monument by the city's Cultural Heritage Commission.

Photography by Darren Bradley
Norms 470–478 North La Cienega Boulvard, Los Angeles Designed by Armet & Davis in 1957, Norms is one of the most famous examples of Googie architecture, a midcentury movement of playful futurist architecture. The diner was recently named a Historic-Cultural Monument by the city's Cultural Heritage Commission. Photography by Darren Bradley