The Eames House is a landmark of mid-century modern architecture, located at 203 North Chautauqua Boulevard in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, declared a National Historic Landmark since 2006. Designed and built in 1949 by Charles Eames and Ray Eames to serve as their home and studio.[1].
Architectural project
Contenido
La casa también se conoce como Case Study House No. 8 porque fue encargada por la revista Arts & Architecture como parte de un reto a los arquitectos a diseñar casas progresistas, pero modestas, en el sur de California.[2] Charles y Ray se mudaron a la casa en Nochebuena en 1949 y nunca cambiaron de casa (Charles murió en agosto de 1978 y Ray murió en agosto de 1988). La hija de Charles, Lucia Eames, heredó la casa y creó la organización sin ánimo de lucro, la Fundación Eames, en 2004. Sigue siendo una casa museo histórica mantenida por la Fundación Eames, fue declarada Monumento Histórico Nacional en 2006[3] y sirve como lugar de peregrinaje para casi 20.000 visitantes al año (se requieren reservas).
Design and history
In the early 1940s, John Entenza, owner of Arts & Architecture magazine and founder of the Case Study Program, purchased 5 acres (acre) of land on a forested bluff that was once part of Will Rogers' large estate. He sold 1.4 acres of this land to Charles and Ray in 1945. The design of his house was first sketched by Charles Eames with fellow architect Eero Saarinen in 1945 as a raised steel and glass box that projects off the slope and extends across the driveway before jutting out over the front yard. The structure was to be built entirely from "off-the-shelf" parts available in steel fabricators' catalogs. However, immediately after the war, these pieces were in short supply. When the materials arrived three years later, he had spent a lot of time before construction having a picnic and exploring the plot where the house would be located. After a period of intense collaboration between Charles and Ray, the scheme changed radically to sit more quietly on the ground and avoid colliding with the pleasant meadow that overlooked the house. Although Eero Saarinen had no input into the construction of the Eames House, he did co-design the Entenza House (Case Study House #9) with Charles Eames at his side for John Entenza.
Eames House
Introduction
The Eames House is a landmark of mid-century modern architecture, located at 203 North Chautauqua Boulevard in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, declared a National Historic Landmark since 2006. Designed and built in 1949 by Charles Eames and Ray Eames to serve as their home and studio.[1].
Architectural project
Contenido
La casa también se conoce como Case Study House No. 8 porque fue encargada por la revista Arts & Architecture como parte de un reto a los arquitectos a diseñar casas progresistas, pero modestas, en el sur de California.[2] Charles y Ray se mudaron a la casa en Nochebuena en 1949 y nunca cambiaron de casa (Charles murió en agosto de 1978 y Ray murió en agosto de 1988). La hija de Charles, Lucia Eames, heredó la casa y creó la organización sin ánimo de lucro, la Fundación Eames, en 2004. Sigue siendo una casa museo histórica mantenida por la Fundación Eames, fue declarada Monumento Histórico Nacional en 2006[3] y sirve como lugar de peregrinaje para casi 20.000 visitantes al año (se requieren reservas).
Design and history
In the early 1940s, John Entenza, owner of Arts & Architecture magazine and founder of the Case Study Program, purchased 5 acres (acre) of land on a forested bluff that was once part of Will Rogers' large estate. He sold 1.4 acres of this land to Charles and Ray in 1945. The design of his house was first sketched by Charles Eames with fellow architect Eero Saarinen in 1945 as a raised steel and glass box that projects off the slope and extends across the driveway before jutting out over the front yard. The structure was to be built entirely from "off-the-shelf" parts available in steel fabricators' catalogs. However, immediately after the war, these pieces were in short supply. When the materials arrived three years later, he had spent a lot of time before construction having a picnic and exploring the plot where the house would be located. After a period of intense collaboration between Charles and Ray, the scheme changed radically to sit more quietly on the ground and avoid colliding with the pleasant meadow that overlooked the house. Although Eero Saarinen had no input into the construction of the Eames House, he did co-design the Entenza House (Case Study House #9) with Charles Eames at his side for John Entenza.
The new Eames House design included a residence building and a studio building hidden behind the landscape slope, with an 8-foot (2.4 m) high by 200-foot (60 m) long concrete retaining wall. The lower level of the residence features a living room and bedroom, foyer with closets and spiral staircase, kitchen and laundry room. The upper level has two bedrooms and opens onto the double-height living room. The second floor of the residence also features two bathrooms, several hallways with aluminum cabinets, and a cable-operated skylight. The studio building has a similar mezzanine, but is much shorter. The ground floor of the studio has a sink, a bathroom, a dark room for processing photographs and a large double-height open space. The upper floor was mainly used as storage, but was occasionally converted into guest accommodation. A courtyard was also introduced, separating the residence from the studio space "Studio (art)"). This revised scheme required only one additional beam. The 17-foot (5.1 m) tall façade is divided into a geometric composition of brightly colored and neutral-colored panels between thin steel columns and braces, painted "a warm gray." Over time, paint schemes allowed the gray to fade to black. The entrance door is marked with a gold leaf panel at the top. Planted in the 1880s by Abbot Kinney,[3] a row of existing eucalyptus trees was preserved along the exposed wall of the house, providing shade and visual contrast to the house's bold facade.
In terms of interior design, the Eames' collection includes, among others: Isamu Noguchi floor lamps, folk and abstract expressionist art,[3] Japanese kokeshi dolls, Chinese lacquer pillows, Native American baskets,[4] Thonet chairs, and numerous Eames furniture designs (some of which never made it past the prototype stage). The interiors were grouped by the Eameses into idiosyncratic paintings, and the interior decoration of the house has sparked controversy over the Eameses' "humanizing" modernism.[5].
Of the twenty-five Case Study Houses built, the Eames house is considered the most successful both as an architectural statement and as a comfortable and functional living space. The bold elegance of the design made it a favorite setting for fashion shoots in the 1950s and 1960s for publications such as Vogue. Perhaps proof of his success in carrying out his program is the fact that he remained at the center of the Eameses' life and work from the time they moved (Christmas Eve 1949) until his death.
The Eames House is a prominent architectural example of the influence of the De Stijl Movement outside of Europe. The sliding walls and windows give it the versatility and openness characteristic of the De Stijl movement.
After the death of the Eames, the house remained practically unchanged.[4].
The Eames Foundation
Eames House is managed by the Eames Foundation, a non-profit foundation established in 2004 by Lucia Eames, Charles Eames' daughter from his first marriage.[2] Corporate sponsors of the Eames Foundation are Eames Office, Herman Miller and Vitra. On September 20, 2006, the Eames House was declared a National Historic Landmark (and on the same day is administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places). In 2011, the contents of the living room were remounted at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as the centerpiece of the exhibition "California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way".[6].
Also in 2011, the Eames Foundation hired the Los Angeles architectural firm Escher GuneWardena to develop a plan for the house, one that would restore and preserve the house as it was in 1988. In 2012, the Getty Conservation Institute pledged about $250,000 for preservation-related research work at the Eames House. digital marketing company Nebo to produce limited edition prints for auction with the goal of raising $150,000; Each donation was accompanied by an Authenticity Fund created by modern furniture manufacturers Herman Miller and Vitra.[8].
Lucia Eames passed away in 2014, leaving her five children as the Board of Directors of the Eames Foundation. Together, with the help of staff and faculty, they oversee the ownership, conservation, and visitor services of the two buildings, the landscape, and Charles and Ray's belongings. The Eames Foundation's 250 Years Project hopes to preserve the legacy for the next 250 years. All of them participate in the documentary Eames: The Architect and the Painter, filmed in 2011.[9].
The Eames House is open to the public five days a week. With reservations, self-guided outdoor tours, private indoor tours, picnics and more events are included.[10].
Literature
In February 2010, LAS Magazine published an article about the history of the building and its current significance to the Eames Century Modern Collection, a typography project by design studio House Industries.[11].
In April 2019, the Getty Conservation Institute published the Eames House Conservation Management Plan (CMP). This 200+ page publication presented the history of the Eames House, current use of the property, potential damage and ecological risks, and conservation mitigations. This publication will assist the Eames Foundation's 250 Year Conservation Project and serves as a tool for other stewards of modern architecture around the world.
Gallery
• - Eames House and Studio.
• - Eames House Elevations.
• - Eames House Floor Plans.
• - Render core plus structure Eames House.
• - Eames House, model of the complex.
• - America's Favorite Architecture.
• - Official website of the Eames Foundation.
• - National Historic Landmarks Program: Eames House.
• - Art and architecture magazine.
• - The magazine "Life (magazine)") The home of your own life "Life (magazine)") from the designer. September 11, 1950. page 148.
The new Eames House design included a residence building and a studio building hidden behind the landscape slope, with an 8-foot (2.4 m) high by 200-foot (60 m) long concrete retaining wall. The lower level of the residence features a living room and bedroom, foyer with closets and spiral staircase, kitchen and laundry room. The upper level has two bedrooms and opens onto the double-height living room. The second floor of the residence also features two bathrooms, several hallways with aluminum cabinets, and a cable-operated skylight. The studio building has a similar mezzanine, but is much shorter. The ground floor of the studio has a sink, a bathroom, a dark room for processing photographs and a large double-height open space. The upper floor was mainly used as storage, but was occasionally converted into guest accommodation. A courtyard was also introduced, separating the residence from the studio space "Studio (art)"). This revised scheme required only one additional beam. The 17-foot (5.1 m) tall façade is divided into a geometric composition of brightly colored and neutral-colored panels between thin steel columns and braces, painted "a warm gray." Over time, paint schemes allowed the gray to fade to black. The entrance door is marked with a gold leaf panel at the top. Planted in the 1880s by Abbot Kinney,[3] a row of existing eucalyptus trees was preserved along the exposed wall of the house, providing shade and visual contrast to the house's bold facade.
In terms of interior design, the Eames' collection includes, among others: Isamu Noguchi floor lamps, folk and abstract expressionist art,[3] Japanese kokeshi dolls, Chinese lacquer pillows, Native American baskets,[4] Thonet chairs, and numerous Eames furniture designs (some of which never made it past the prototype stage). The interiors were grouped by the Eameses into idiosyncratic paintings, and the interior decoration of the house has sparked controversy over the Eameses' "humanizing" modernism.[5].
Of the twenty-five Case Study Houses built, the Eames house is considered the most successful both as an architectural statement and as a comfortable and functional living space. The bold elegance of the design made it a favorite setting for fashion shoots in the 1950s and 1960s for publications such as Vogue. Perhaps proof of his success in carrying out his program is the fact that he remained at the center of the Eameses' life and work from the time they moved (Christmas Eve 1949) until his death.
The Eames House is a prominent architectural example of the influence of the De Stijl Movement outside of Europe. The sliding walls and windows give it the versatility and openness characteristic of the De Stijl movement.
After the death of the Eames, the house remained practically unchanged.[4].
The Eames Foundation
Eames House is managed by the Eames Foundation, a non-profit foundation established in 2004 by Lucia Eames, Charles Eames' daughter from his first marriage.[2] Corporate sponsors of the Eames Foundation are Eames Office, Herman Miller and Vitra. On September 20, 2006, the Eames House was declared a National Historic Landmark (and on the same day is administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places). In 2011, the contents of the living room were remounted at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as the centerpiece of the exhibition "California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way".[6].
Also in 2011, the Eames Foundation hired the Los Angeles architectural firm Escher GuneWardena to develop a plan for the house, one that would restore and preserve the house as it was in 1988. In 2012, the Getty Conservation Institute pledged about $250,000 for preservation-related research work at the Eames House. digital marketing company Nebo to produce limited edition prints for auction with the goal of raising $150,000; Each donation was accompanied by an Authenticity Fund created by modern furniture manufacturers Herman Miller and Vitra.[8].
Lucia Eames passed away in 2014, leaving her five children as the Board of Directors of the Eames Foundation. Together, with the help of staff and faculty, they oversee the ownership, conservation, and visitor services of the two buildings, the landscape, and Charles and Ray's belongings. The Eames Foundation's 250 Years Project hopes to preserve the legacy for the next 250 years. All of them participate in the documentary Eames: The Architect and the Painter, filmed in 2011.[9].
The Eames House is open to the public five days a week. With reservations, self-guided outdoor tours, private indoor tours, picnics and more events are included.[10].
Literature
In February 2010, LAS Magazine published an article about the history of the building and its current significance to the Eames Century Modern Collection, a typography project by design studio House Industries.[11].
In April 2019, the Getty Conservation Institute published the Eames House Conservation Management Plan (CMP). This 200+ page publication presented the history of the Eames House, current use of the property, potential damage and ecological risks, and conservation mitigations. This publication will assist the Eames Foundation's 250 Year Conservation Project and serves as a tool for other stewards of modern architecture around the world.
Gallery
• - Eames House and Studio.
• - Eames House Elevations.
• - Eames House Floor Plans.
• - Render core plus structure Eames House.
• - Eames House, model of the complex.
• - America's Favorite Architecture.
• - Official website of the Eames Foundation.
• - National Historic Landmarks Program: Eames House.
• - Art and architecture magazine.
• - The magazine "Life (magazine)") The home of your own life "Life (magazine)") from the designer. September 11, 1950. page 148.