Continuing American Travels

22 April – A day given over to the works of John Lautner (1911-94). When the trip was in the planning stages it appeared likely that our visit would coincide with an exhibition on Lautner in LA. Delays ruled this out. It is perhaps ironic that, while we were in LA, the exhibition was in the UK – Edinburgh.

Lautner spent 6 years with the Taliesan Fellowship in the 30’s culminating with responsibility for project managing the Wingspread house. In his own practice he designed many notable houses despite going through a lean spell in the 50’s and 60’s – probably as a result of the adverse criticism of his design for Googie’s Coffee Shop. His work was little know to the group – no longer so. His work combined progressive engineering with humane design and space age flair. We were fortunate to be able to visit a number of the houses.

The Sheats / Goldstien Residence (1963 / 89 and ongoing) was an extraordinary introduction to his work and has been featured in a number of movies. The current owner has restored the house and extended it both with Lautner and subsequently as he would have wished. It contains an eclectic collection of art and artifacts. A recent addition to the complex is an installation by light artist James Turrell in a concrete box down the hill from the main house.

The Tyler Residence (1953) has a distinctly triangular theme and was, by comparison to other houses, relatively restrained. Some interesting Wrightian detailing.

The Harpel House of 1956 (above and above right) is another based on a triangular planning grid. It as been recently restored by an owner who boasts a collection of ‘trophy’ houses, it was a great place to enjoy a picnic lunch while looking at both the hose and a spectacular view.

We then drove by the 1962 Garcia House and the famous Chemosphere House of 1960 before visiting

the Harvey House of 1950 (above and right) now proudly owned by actress Kelly Lynch (of Charlie’s Angels fame) and her film producer husband. Along with most Lautner owners our gracious hostess is determined to restore the house to its former glory undoing much damage caused by earlier owners.

We also got access to the 1960 Reiner House – a wonderfully sited and well maintained house whose owners are finding it increasingly difficult to source spare parts for the electrically opened glass picture wall which gives extensive views over LA.

The house which Lautner built for himself and his family in 1939 was, in comparison to others, distinctly restrained.

23 April – Back to the Master – Hollyhock House – built by FLW in 1919-22 for Ailine Barnsdorf. 9above left) Hollyhocks were, it seemed, Aline’s favourite flowers). Here we were greeted by our 9.30 Docent (guide) Nina from New York – an elderly and charming extrovert with a real passion for the house and its one time occupants (above right). She was a delight as was the house with stunning Living, Music and Dining Rooms. Some wonderful detailing. Sadly, many elements which once contributed to the complex have long since disappeared.

What promised to be a fascinating visit to the Malibu home and studio of Eric Lloyd Wright – grandson of the great man – was not what might have been expected. His small staff engaged in working on a selection of sensitive and ecologically sound projects operated out of a collection of trailer homes linked by roof structures which were more utilitarian than things of beauty. The site was spectacular giving views out over the coast a couple of miles away. His dream house remains in embryo – just that. A concrete shell with a roof set into the hill and landscaped awaiting cash to finish the job. We had a slightly chilly picnic and chatted to ELW – a nice and modest man with tales to tell.

Then to a very different experience a guided tour of Frank Gehry’s Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA which was completed in 2003. The highlight for Mervyn Miller was unknowingly meeting and shaking hands with the building’s designer. One wonders if the hand has been washed since! Details are much better resolved that at the Guggenheim in Bilbao and I was more impressed that I had expected to be. We were told by those who attended a concert that evening that the acoustics were good. A very showbiz building.

From the secular to the religious – Raleal Moneo’s 2002 Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Just down the road and costing some $185M the building did not inspire externally – it seems monumental and slightly clumsy. The interior Cathedral space was something else again; the various side chapels were gathered around the perimeter along with a with display dealing with the production of the tapestries which give colour and life to the Cathedral. This space can accommodate 3000 worshippers and is (apart from what we were told were temporary and intrusive lght fittings) dignified and elegant. It has, it seems, a public / civic role and, as such, is refreshingly ecumenical. Given our background as a ‘group of building specialists from the UK’ we were given access into the undercroft to inspect the quite extraordinary measures that have been taken to accommodate both lateral and vertical earthquake movement. The huge rubber mountings were, it seemed, manufactured in the UK.

The views from the enclosed garden space were sadly compromised by the newly built High School No 9 for the Visual and Performing Arts by Coop Himmelbau. This seems like an elaborate stage or screen set for heaven knows what type of production. Mr Coop or Mr Himmelbau has much to answer for.

A Master of Wine abroad

A brief view of Futurism and the Museum of Modern Art in Rovereto

by Patricia Stefanowicz MW

We (members of the Academy of Wine Experts) were treated to a short morning at the MART (Museum of Modern Art) in Rovereto.

The museum and its partner museum in Trento were facilitated by legacies from Fortunato Depero, a native of Rovereto, himself an artist and Italian Futurist.

The museum, brilliant on a warm, sunny day, was restored and enlarged under the direction of renowned Italian architect Renato Rizzi and the Rovereto local Council. The building is quite impressive with a beautifully constructed steel-and-glass dome over the main courtyard and impeccably-set Carrara travertine stone on the external walls. The interior was sleek, modern Italian design: light oak, stainless steel and glass. Easy to negotiate, too, because the main staircase dominates the atrium, allowing a visitor to orientate himself.

Futurism

Futurism was an avant-garde artistic movement precipitated by Italian Filippo Tommaso Marinetti on 20^th February 1909 when he, a writer and artist, published his ‘Manifesto of Futurism’ in the Paris daily, Le Figaro. As was the case with many of his artistic generation, his group included other writers, musicians and artists: fellow Italians Umberto Boccioni and Gino Severini, for example.

The Futurism idea was to celebrate the ‘machine age’ of technology and industry, whilst following on from the earlier work of Neo-Impressionists and Cubists, such as Cezanne, Braque and Picasso. The movement inspired Constructivism in Russia (Popova and Rodchenko) and the works of numerous artists in other countries, including Joseph Stella in the USA and George Grosz in Germany. Wassily Kandinsky’s paintings were influenced by the Futurists when his early pictorial works evolved to the ‘abstract’ paintings for which he is best known. Paul Klee, the German-Swiss, and Kandinsky both alluded to the importance of poetry and music in their paintings and sculptures.

The Exhibition

The current exhibition, Futurismo 100, celebrates the centenary of the publication of Manetti’s manifesto. The curator, Ester Coen, completed a magnificent project by setting Futurism in context, then showing developments that reacted to the movement.

The works selected were an excellent representation of the first proponents and their successors. There were words and works by the instigators: Marinetti and his friend Depero. Particular highlights amoung the paintings included three of Kandinsky’s Improvisations, mid-period works by Marc Chagall, Kasimir Malevich (before his ‘White-on-White’ and ‘Black-on-Black’ periods) and the rest of Russian group: Popova, Rodchenko, Natalia Goncharova, Mikhail Larionov, and the Russian-born Polish painter, Pawel Filonow.

Sculptures in the exhibition, too, were a revelation. There were a few examples of wood or metal, mainly filigree-like. A rather interesting example of a twisted bicycle was perhaps an inspiration for Marcel Duchamp, the Dada-Surrealist working in the 1920s and beyond.

The rest of the collections

A very quick visit around the rest of the museum demonstrated how serious MART is about Modern Art. The Post-1945 Art and Design exposition showed some of the tensions between the West (Europe and the States) and the ‘Soviet bloc.’ On view was a plethora of propaganda from both sides of the world, including Robert Rauschenberg paintings, snippets of Stanley Kubrick films and the posters of Russian Peter Ghyczy.

The permanent collection exudes Depero’s Futurist vision. There is his re-created art studio and examples of furniture, textiles and industrial art products of the exponents. An early version of Vespa’s popular scooter made me giggle.

In this brief tour of a really rather delectable museum, it’s fairly easy to remind oneself of the continuity in artistic expression and how much fine art is both inspired by, and modified by, its predecessors and the other arts: writing, music, cinema and theatre. For art aficionados, the Rovereto Museum of Modern Art is definitely worth a detour.

Subsequently at the de Chirico retrospective, Musee de l’Art Moderne in Paris, I noticed that three of the de Chirico’s on show are in MART Rovereto’s permanent collection. Linkages.

© Patricia Stefanowicz 2009

The continuing thirst for knowledge

Thursday 4 June and another event already. Members of the Company together with colleagues and friends from the Constructors' Company and the Master of the Guild of Arts Scholars, Dealers and Professionals joined a number of representatives of the Swiss banking community at the Swiss Embassy for a tasting of Swiss wines and Gruyere cheeses. It is possible that more attended the event than visited my local polling station during the day for the elections to the European parliament. The attendance levels were driven by a genuine interest in getting to know a group of wines little known or appreciated in the UK. There was the additional lure of the the cheese puffs cooked for us by Armin Loetscher - the Executive Chef at the San Moritz Restaurant in Wardour Street.

This was an interesting collection of wines ranging from a very quaffable white Merlot from Ticino through a couple of unusual, classy (and pricey) varietals a Humagne Rouge 2003 and a Cornalin 2003) both from the Valais region to a blended red of some considerable character from the same region.

The tasting was finished off (along, possibly with some of those present) by a curious strawberry dessert wine of impressive strength which was liked by some and regarded by others as a 'waste of good strawberries'! Not one for the feint hearted.

The wines, a cheese platter and the cheese puffs made for an enjoyable evening. The Master Constructor - Roger Adcock ruled his table with considerable authority. Jackets were kept on and decorum observed. This was, he noted, in comparison to the occupants of the neighbouring table (the occupants of which contained the current and four Past Master Chartered Architects) who got quickly down to shirt sleeves for the serious work at hand.
It seems that the Master Constructor's cause for comment was that the riotous shirt and bow tie worn by his opposite number was of a colour (or selection of colours) which was affecting his judgement of the subtle hues of the wines. His comment to this effect was not appreciated by the Master Architect's lady whose Christmas present the shirt had been!

Thanks are due to the Swiss Ambassador for the use of the premises, to Douglas Harrison of Harrison Vintners for providing the wines,to Maurice Johnson of Interprofession du Gruyere for the cheeses and to Armin Loetscher for doing interesting things with some of them.

pictured below - a group of Past Masters adding thier valued opinions to the debate in company with the Master's Lady and Paul Weston

Further Travels

19 April – Another day another couple of Frank LW’s. Local architect Frank Henry took us around the quite magnificent 1954 Harold Price House (currently known less prosaically as the U-Haul House for its current owners). Frank had worked with Wright on the concrete block building which was both elegant and eminently liveable. Careful detailing designed to cope with an unforgiving climate and the central canopy roof which seemed to float over the space it protected from the elements, gave the house a unique character.

Then to the First Christian Church which was started in 1950 but completed after his death in 1970. Something of a curate’s egg this one – it suffered perhaps for having been originally designed as part of a campus for a religious community and being adapted for more contemporary worship by a very different type of congregation. Wright was never one to waste a good design if the first client didn’t want it! Iconic Tower.

On then to something very much more modern – the Phoenix Art Museum and, in particular, the recent extension by Tod Williams Billie Tsein Associates (mid 90’s). A good collection of contemporary art well displayed in a series of comfortably interlocking spaces.

The day was rounded off by an enjoyable gathering in the Scottsdale home of (Past Master) Richard and Ann Saxon

20 April – As a prelude to the departure for San Diego and Los Angeles A visit was made to architect Eddie Jones’s Phoenix home (shown above). Arizona’s frequently unforgiving climate and the terrain are the ideal setting for his unique work. Built in 1998 out of rammed earth with walls two feet thick the house was breath-taking and the balustrade-less glass floored walkways and stair were exciting and challenging. Where Jones built, others have followed and he now finds himself surrounded by largely mediocre developments. It was great to hear Eddie talk about construction techniques and design influences.

San Diego’s main claim to architectural glory is the Salk Institute designed by Louis Khan in the 1960’s. 25 years later it was still considered good enough to win the AIA’s coveted ‘long service award’.

Thought by many to be well up among the great modern buildings in the United States it was greatly admired by the group. We were fortunate to gain access (thanks to the family connections of two members of the group) to the laboratory areas and to see at first hand how Khan worked his concept of ‘servant and service spaces’. Beautifully set, imaginatively designed and built with meticulous attention to detail both the original and the (much criticized) extension lived up to expectations.

21 April –On then to Tinsel Town. Los Angeles was to prove a revelation though, it must be said, that we managed to avoid the seedier parts. Sunset Boulevarde was tacky just on a drive through.

First stop the seminal Eames House by Charles and Ray Eames. This was No 8 of a series of 25 homes in the Case Study House Programme dating from the mid 40’s until the early 60’s. The aim of the project was to produce ‘architect designed homes to be built and furnished using techniques and materials derived from the experience of WW2’. The use of prefabricated and off the shelf parts and coloured external panels produced a dwelling in which they lived for many years.

It had a profound influence on a generation of architectural student - particularly those from countries not constrained by tight inner city sites. Despite the establishment of the Eames trust, the house is showing its age. The setting is truly magnificent.

The nearby Stuart Bailey Residence (1946) at Pacific Pallisades by Richard Neutra has been lovingly restored to its simple glory. Sadly, we were unable to gain entry.

LA architect Ray Kappe kindly allowed us to roam all over his 1969 home and studio built on a steep, heavily wooded and watered hillside lot. Six concrete towers provide the earthquake stability for a glass and timber house. Fascinating interconnecting internal spaces and natural materials in strong geometric forms are features of his subsequent houses.

Nothing could be more different than the next site visited – Richard Meier’s Getty Centre (1997). Its 600 acre mountain top setting in the Santa Monica Mountains called for something special and this is what they got. The buildings are in concrete in steel with largely travertine cladding - as near to Meier’s trademark white buildings as he was allowed to get. Acres of glass.

There are five interconnected buildings all using the same palate but with varying geometric forms. While each was interesting, the overall effect was, to this tourist, slightly sterile and overbearing: perhaps rather too theatrical. The highlight was the major landscaping cascading down the hill designed by Robert Irwin – very dramatic and bringing a touch of humanity to the centre as a whole.

Some good art but not, I suspect, a great collection.

More to follow.

ahoy shipmates

Wednesday 3 June - the Master was pleased to welcome a bumper crew on board SB Ardwina in St Catherine's Dock today to hear Deputy Christine Cohen OBE talk about 'The Landscaping of Public Open Spaces in the City'. Christine Cohen speaks with a great deal of authority on the subject as she is not only the current Master of the Gardeners' Company but also is the Chairman of the Planning and Transporation Committee in the City of London Corporation. She gave an overview of the steps that have been taken by the Corporation to humanize the Square Mile by making it more of an area that workers will enjoy working in. She talked of 'pocket parks'. of incorporating sculpture and mautre planting and of ensuring publically accessible spaces in the current and coming larger buildings.

Her talk was preceded by a glass of bubbly al fresco on deck before the group descended into the cabin for a fish and chip lunch organized by David Penning. This was washed down by a glass or two of wine procured by Master of Wine Patricia Stefanowicz.


above left - Past Master Peter Luscombe. Deputy Christine Cohen and David Penning

above right: Catering Officer and barmaid

left: an unlikely crew!







The Company holds this function every year with the purpose of raising a modest level of funding for the RNLI - that we are able to do so is due to the generosity of the Directors of Rolfe Judd Ltd who own the Ardwina, of those who have donated the wine and the hard work of the organizers - Michael Wilkey and David Penning.

Patricia Stefanowicz adds:

'I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the 'get stuck in and muck in ability of the Master's Lady - she was brilliant; she managed to organize the itinerant barmaid and others to get the washing up done in half the time and get the glasses and beakers returned to their correct places without a single breakage. Thios was a very impressive performance and deserving of my undying gratitude.'

Architectural Tourism in West Coast USA

Recently back from a study trip with a group of members of the Company and a few friends and colleagues the Clerk of the Company intends to post a section of a very elementary diary of the trip on an occasional basis. He takes comfort from the knowledge that Dr Mervyn Miller will, in the fullness of time, publish an erudite trip record which will be posted on the website. The photographs are a small selection of the thousands taken by members of the group.

WEST COAST USA TRAVEL DIARY

The Company’s annual architectural study trip took place in the latter half of April taking in Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco with a few side excursions. A long time in the planning the whole thing became more expensive that originally planned due to the kamikaze behaviour of the pound in the intervening time.

The trip began with a late afternoon arrival on Thursday 16 April at the Chaparral Suites Resort Hotel in Scottsdale – a suburb of Phoenix. Suites – yes; resort hotel – probably not. Comfortable, well blessed with swimming pools and a nightly happy hour. The first such was quickly sampled.

17 April – The day began with a guided tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Grady Gammage Memorial auditorium. Designed before his death in 1959 the building was completed in 1964 after his death by Taliesin Associates led by Wesley Peters and John Rattenbury. He is thought to have derived the design from his earlier proposal for the Baghdad Opera House. Regardless of critical opinion about the worthiness of the building, it makes a distinguished addition to an otherwise uninspiring Arizona State University Campus. Sitting across the square from the building is Wes Peter’s School of Music – a neat and fitting tribute to his mentor and father in law.

We were shown this by local landscape architect James Abell who had been involved with the Antoine Predock Nelson Fine Arts Centre nearby (and illustrated below left). This was both uncomfortable and uncompromising as a building and some in the group were left with a better understanding of why architects might, just occasionally, be regarded as being arrogant.

The afternoon was given largely to the work of Will Bruder who has, since 1974, worked his magic around the Phoenix area. We were to learn that almost everyone had worked for or with FLW or Paolo Soleri. Will was no exception. He took us around his excellent Phoenix Central Library (1995 and still sparkling) in which most creative use has been made of materials and light. In the later context we needed to be on the top floor public space (very egalitarian this building) at precisely solar noon to witness his sleight of hand. We also visited a neatly detailed urban home community and had a stimulating hour or so in the former dance studio he has converted into his studio. We were impressed and it is hoped that the Company or the RIBA might entice him to the UK to give a public lecture.

(the library and office are shown to the right and below respectively)

The day finished with a visit to the very classy Camelview Village residential development – the latest offering by architect developer David Tovey.

Very expensive condominiums (for which there’s still a market in this retirement capital of the West) with fine landscaping and good views.

18 April – The eagerly anticipated visit to Taliesin West was, for this particular tourist, something of a disappointment. While some parts were fascinating (in both detail and execution) and there was much to excite, the total lack of a coherent master plan led to a somewhat random development with quite a lot of the structures in a state of worrying decay. One wonders with all the funds generated from merchandising the FLW brand more is not done to preserve and protect. The complex still functions as a part time school of architecture; half the academic year spent her, the rest at Taliesin East. Like many parts of the building the aging and sycophantic ex student who gave us the introduction in the theatre (far from being the best bit of the complex) was in need of sympathetic modernization.

The afternoon visit to Paolo Soleri’s Cosanti premises was a bit of a relief mainly because the writer had visited the much lauded Arcosanti (shown in model form in the photo below left) en route from the Grand Canyon to meet up with the group in Phoenix. It had been a desperately sad excursion to a site which seemed like a throwback to the age of flower power when the scheme first saw the light of day.

The rationale behind Arcosanti made sense in the context of the times but it seemed like an experiment which had run out of both time and funds and was not likely to recapture either youth or fortune.

Cosanti was fun. Some of the structures were primitive, some adventurous and there were lots of bells being made. We were shown round by architect Roger Tomalty who was a real enthusiast and who was, predictably, writing a book in conjunction with Dennis Sharp.

This visit was followed by visits to two sharply contrasting FLW houses.

The 1951 Benjamin Adelman House – not one of his best and not improved by what seemed to me to be clumsy extensions at various times. The sign pictured on the right beside the Howitzer parked in the front drive (purported to be a quote from Wright) may have been a judgement by its author on the direction in which the gun should, perhaps, be trained!.

The adjacent Boomer Cottage (pictured left) dating from 1953 was a pleasure. A variation on the Usonion home theme it had, until very recently, been lived in and cared for by its original owner. One hopes that it will survive its new inhabitants. The owner’s late 50’s Packard stood proudly in the drive and also awaits a new home.

The day was rounded off with a visit to the Arizona Biltmore Hotel which was redolent with influences from Wright who played a part in the design of the building. It was interesting to see a wonderful example of FLW's art glass on display in the hotel foyer which had been donated by Oligivanna - just possibly to ensure that her husband's name would be forever linked to the original designs.

The hotel has been extended almost beyond recognition and there are many fine touches and grand rooms. Sadly the fine touches did not extend to the quality of the service in the Wright Restaurant where the group convened for dinner.

More to follow - much more.

We must go down to the sea again

Given that the Company is seeking to reinforce its links with the Tower RNLI Lifeboat Station it was fitting that a group of members paid a visit to the station on Friday 6 May. We were given an interesting talk on the work of the Station by Wayne Bellamy standing in for Station manager Janet Kelly. Wayne is her opposite number at the Chiswick Station. He had many tales to tell and, now that the boats are equipped with cameras, there shoulod be wonderful TV footage for the future. Tom Ball has put together the attached photograph of the occasion.

Newsletter Issue 16 - May 2009

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