Schindler House facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Schindler House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Western Los Angeles
Location	833 N. Kings Road, West Hollywood, California
Area	1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1922
Architect	Rudolf Schindler
Architectural style	Modern
NRHP reference No.	71000150
Added to NRHP	July 14, 1971

The Schindler House, also known as the Kings Road House, is a famous building in West Hollywood, California. It was designed by a talented architect named Rudolf M. Schindler. This house is special because it was built in a very new and different way for its time.

Unlike most homes, it doesn't have regular living rooms, dining rooms, or bedrooms. Instead, it was designed as a place where two families could live and work together. The house uses cool materials like concrete walls and sliding canvas panels. Its open design also connects the inside with the outside, which was a big deal for homes in California. Today, the house is home to the MAK Center for Art and Architecture.

What Inspired the Schindler House?

In 1921, Schindler and his wife, Pauline, visited Yosemite National Park. They loved the idea of modern living spaces that could be shared by many people, like the Curry Village camp in Yosemite. This trip gave Schindler the idea for his unique house design.

How the House Was Designed

A drawing showing the house from different angles.

The Schindler House looks like two "L" shapes that fit together. It was planned for two separate families, with each family having two studio spaces. These studios were connected by a room that could be used for cooking, laundry, and storage.

The house was originally meant for the Schindler family (Rudolf and Pauline) and the Chace family (Clyde and Marian). There's also a guest studio with its own kitchen and bathroom. The whole house is about 3,500 square feet (330 m²) big and sits on a large 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m²) piece of land.

Instead of regular bedrooms, the house has two "sleeping baskets" on the roof. These were made of redwood and had canvas sides to protect from rain.

Building the Schindler House

When Schindler first showed his plans, local officials were surprised. They thought his new building method was too unusual. After many discussions, they finally gave him a temporary permit to build. This meant they could stop construction at any time if they didn't like it.

The house has a flat concrete base that acts as both the foundation and the floor. The walls are made from concrete slabs that were poured flat and then tilted up into place. These "tilt-up" slabs have small gaps between them, filled with concrete or glass. This made the back of the house a strong, solid wall, while the front had softer, more open screens.

Schindler was very interested in this tilt-up concrete method. He worked with his friend Clyde Chace, an engineer, to build the house. Construction started in November 1921 and was finished by June 1922. The total cost was about $12,550. The Chace and Schindler families lived there together until the Chaces moved away in 1924.

History of the House

Many interesting people lived in the Chace part of the house over the years. This included Schindler's friend and fellow architect, Richard Neutra, and his family. Later, famous artists like art dealer Galka Scheyer, dancer John Bovingdon, and photographer Edward Weston also stayed there.

Pauline Schindler, Rudolf's wife, left the house in 1927 but returned in the late 1930s. She lived in the Chace Studios part of the house, separate from Rudolf, until she passed away in 1977. Rudolf Schindler lived in the house until his death in 1953.

Friends of the Schindler House

After Pauline Schindler died, a group called the Friends of the Schindler House (FOSH) bought the property in 1980. This group was made up of architects and historians who loved the house.

When FOSH took over, the house needed a lot of work. The area around the house had also changed, with taller apartment buildings being built. FOSH has worked hard to restore and protect the house, making sure it stays true to its original design. In 2022, for the house's 100th birthday, FOSH started a big project to make sure the house stays strong for many more years.

MAK Center for Art and Architecture

In 1994, the Friends of the Schindler House teamed up with the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna. Together, they created the nonprofit MAK Center for Art and Architecture. The MAK Center uses the Schindler House as a place for art and architecture programs. It also runs other buildings designed by Schindler in Los Angeles.

The MAK Center helps keep the Schindler House open to the public. Visitors can take tours, see exhibitions, and attend special events. The museum also helps pay for the house's upkeep and restoration.

Celebrating 100 Years

In 2022, the Schindler House celebrated its 100th anniversary! The MAK Center for Art and Architecture held special events and exhibitions to mark this important milestone. It was a time to celebrate the house's unique design and its impact on modern architecture.

Why the Schindler House is Important

The Schindler House was a truly new idea. Its concrete walls and sliding canvas panels showed how industrial materials could be used in creative ways. The open design that blended the inside with the outside was also very forward-thinking.

The house is recognized as a very important example of modern architecture. In 2008, the Los Angeles Times even listed it as one of the top 10 houses in Los Angeles.

Today, the area around the Schindler House has become much busier, with many new, taller buildings. Despite these changes, the Schindler House remains a special place, showing how innovative design can stand the test of time.

Images for kids

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  Schindler House exterior from Kings Road

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  Robert Sweeney, Harriett Gold and Peter Noever, signing of corporation agreement between Friends of the Schindler House (FOSH) and the Republic of Austria, August 10, 1994, West Hollywood