Hollyhock House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hollyhock House |
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The Hollyhock House
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| Location | 4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Built | 1921 |
| Architect | Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Architectural style(s) | Mayan Revival architecture |
| Governing body | Local |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii) |
| Designated | 2019 (43rd session) |
| Part of | The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Reference no. | 1496-004 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Official name: Aline Barnsdall Complex | |
| Designated | May 6, 1971 |
| Reference no. | 71000143 |
| Official name: Aline Barnsdall Complex | |
| Designated | April 4, 2007 |
| Designated | April 1, 1963 |
| Reference no. | 12 |
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The Hollyhock House is a famous building in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It was designed by the well-known architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The house was built between 1919 and 1921 for a woman named Aline Barnsdall. She was an oil heiress, meaning she inherited a lot of money from oil.
Today, the Hollyhock House is the main attraction of the city's Barnsdall Art Park. In 2019, it became a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This means it's considered very important to the world's history and culture. It was one of eight buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright to get this special recognition. This was the first time modern American architecture was added to the World Heritage List. The Hollyhock House is special because it blends indoor and outdoor living spaces in a unique way.
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History of Hollyhock House
Aline Barnsdall first wanted the house to be part of a bigger art and theater complex. This complex was planned for a property called Olive Hill. However, the larger project was never finished.
This house was Frank Lloyd Wright's second project in California. His first was the George C. Stewart House in 1909. Wright was very busy designing the Imperial Hotel in Japan. Because of this, he couldn't oversee much of the Hollyhock House construction himself. He asked his assistants, Rudolph Schindler and his son, Lloyd Wright, to help. Wright was later removed from the project in 1921 because it was costing too much money.
Donation and Restorations
Aline Barnsdall was not happy with the high costs of building and keeping up the house. So, in 1927, she gave the house to the city of Los Angeles. She made a rule that the California Art Club could use it as their main office for fifteen years. The club stayed there until 1942. At one point, the house was almost torn down.
Over the years, the house has been used as an art gallery. It was also a facility for the United Service Organizations (USO). Starting in 1974, the city began to restore the house. But it was damaged again in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. After that, it was restored once more.
In 2007, the U.S. Department of the Interior named Hollyhock House a National Historic Landmark. It was the seventh place in Los Angeles to get this important title. In 2008, experts surveyed by the Los Angeles Times called it one of the "top ten" houses in Los Angeles.
In 2005, a group called Project Restore started a 10-year project. They wanted to fix and preserve the house. This work included fixing the floors, wood, doors, windows, and plaster. In January 2015, it was announced that the house would open for tours again. The re-opening on February 13, 2015, was a 24-hour event. Many people waited in line for hours to see the house.
World Heritage Recognition
In 2015, the National Park Service suggested Hollyhock House for a World Heritage Site designation. They also suggested nine other Frank Lloyd Wright properties. New plans were sent in 2018. Finally, in July 2019, eight of Wright's buildings were added to the World Heritage List. This group of buildings was called "The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright." This was a big moment because it was the first time modern American architecture was recognized by UNESCO.
Cool Features of the House
Like many of Wright's houses, Hollyhock House looks "introverted" from the outside. This means its windows seem hidden. It's not easy to understand the design just by looking from the street. The house is built around a central courtyard. One side of the courtyard is open, like a stage.
The house has many split levels, steps, and roof terraces around the courtyard. The outside walls are tilted back at 85 degrees. This gives the house a "Mayan" look, similar to ancient Mayan temples. This style is sometimes called Mayan Revival architecture.
Special Details
The house has leaded art glass in its windows. There's also a large fireplace with a big, abstract bas-relief sculpture. A unique feature is a moat inside the house. Water was supposed to flow from a pool in the courtyard, through a tunnel, into this indoor moat, and then out to a fountain.
The front doors are designed with steps, just like the entrance. These heavy doors swing open easily because they rest on special pins. The keyhole is even hidden by a decorative flap!
The hollyhock flower was Aline Barnsdall's favorite. So, it's a main theme throughout the house. Many decorations use the flower's shape. Planters are decorated with hollyhock designs and filled with the plants. Wright's stained glass windows also show a stylish hollyhock pattern. An interesting detail is the mitered glass corners on the windows. Wright later used this idea in his famous house, Fallingwater.
The Hollyhock House has an entertainment room right by the entrance. This room might have had the first built-in entertainment center. It had cabinets sized for LP records. Other cool rooms include a play area for children and a modern kitchen. The kitchen used to be the museum gift shop.
Challenges with the Design
Even though it's beautiful, Hollyhock House had some challenges as a place to live. Water sometimes flowed from the central lawn into the living room. The flat roof terraces weren't designed well for Los Angeles's heavy rains. Also, the cantilevered concrete parts didn't hold up well during earthquakes.
The house went through many changes over time. Two smaller buildings, called Studio Residences A and B, were built on the property. Residence A is still there. Barnsdall also wanted a private kindergarten, but it was never built. Another smaller building on the property was designed by the famous architect Richard Neutra.
Hollyhock House in Movies
The house and its grounds were used in the 1989 movie Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death. In the film, it was the temple of the Piranha Women.
Friends of Hollyhock House
The Friends of Hollyhock House (FOHH) is a group that helps people learn more about Frank Lloyd Wright, Aline Barnsdall, and Hollyhock House. They offer public tours and special events. They also have a small research library with books and articles about Wright and Barnsdall. All the tour guides, called docents, are members of FOHH.
Gallery
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Tunnel-like entrance with hollyhock carvings
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Hollyhock House living room, with fireplace and skylight (toward the southeast, 1965) The fireplace hood features a geometric sculptured relief by Wright.
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View over the round pool, with the central courtyard and living room beyond (2005)
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View over the round pool, with the central courtyard and living room beyond (1921)
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Round pool after restoration (2015)
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Part of central courtyard and overhanging with stairway leading to roof terrace, 1921
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Hollyhock House from downhill with children playing in pool, 1921
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Hollyhock House from downhill, 1921
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Hollyhock House with broad flat lawn, ornamental square pool, showing parts of the wings layout, 1921
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Hollyhock House, and ornamental square pool, Los Angeles, 1921
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Wright's glass designs recall the hollyhock theme; note the glass corner
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Hollyhock carvings decorate this exterior planter
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See also
In Spanish: Casa Hollyhock para niños
- Historic Places in Hollywood
- Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles
- Storer House
- California Art Club
- Ennis House
- Works by Frank Lloyd Wright
