Hollyhock House, built from 1919 to 1921 atop Olive Hill for the oil heiress and theatrical producer Aline Barnsdall, was meant as the residence anchoring a larger arts and theater complex that Barnsdall never completed; it was Frank Lloyd Wright's first Los Angeles commission and his first sustained move away from Prairie forms toward the freely mixed Mayan Revival, Aztec, Egyptian and Asian motifs he called California Romanza. Wright was largely absent during construction, occupied with the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, and left the project in the hands of his son Lloyd Wright and the young Rudolph Schindler, who went on to become significant modernist architects in their own right. Barnsdall donated the house and surrounding park to the City of Los Angeles in 1927, and it now operates as a public museum.
Facts
Year Created Location4800 Hollywood Boulevard, East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States 1 Architectural StyleWright's own California Romanza, freely combining Mayan Revival, Aztec, Egyptian and Asian architectural motifs, Wright's first Los Angeles commission and his first departure from the Prairie idiom. 1 Structural SystemLoad-bearing walls of hollow clay tile finished in stucco, with cast concrete ornamental friezes stylizing the hollyhock flower Barnsdall had chosen as the house's motif. 1 Primary MaterialHollow clay tile, wood framing and stucco, with cast concrete decorative elements; brick and concrete foundations. 1 Building TypeHouse museum (private residence, now a public house museum) 1 Commissioned ByAline Barnsdall, an oil heiress and theatrical producer, as the centerpiece residence of a planned arts complex on Olive Hill 1 Construction Floor Area (sqm)Approximately 6,000 square feet, five bedrooms. UNESCO Inscription YearOne of eight Wright buildings inscribed together as The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Current UseHouse museum owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles 1 Visitor AccessOpen to the public as a city-operated museum 1 FAQs
Who owns and runs Hollyhock House today?
The City of Los Angeles owns it and its Department of Cultural Affairs operates it.
The City of Los Angeles owns Hollyhock House, and its Department of Cultural Affairs operates it as a public museum. The house is also one of eight Frank Lloyd Wright structures that joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019.
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Additional Source Hollyhock House (Wikipedia)Hollyhock House
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Source Gardner's Art Through the AgesFred S. Kleiner (after Helen Gardner)
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Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationGenre referenceQuote, Genre reference
Hollyhock House, built from 1919 to 1921 atop Olive Hill for the oil heiress and theatrical producer Aline Barnsdall, was meant as the residence anchoring a larger arts and theater complex that Barnsdall never completed; it was Frank Lloyd Wright's first Los Angeles commission and his first sustained move away from Prairie forms toward the freely mixed Mayan Revival, Aztec, Egyptian and Asian motifs he called California Romanza.
2. Hollyhock House (Wikipedia)
- Hollyhock House
Construction section
The house and its outbuildings, completed in 1921, were the only parts of the complex to be built
View the Source3. UNESCO World Heritage Centre
UNESCOThe 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, inscribed 2019View the Source Gardner's Art Through the Ages
Fred S. Kleiner (after Helen Gardner), Cengage LearningIn Form: Architecture, chapters on architectural history across periods
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