Holy organic modernism, Batman: a long-forgotten early-career home by SoCal architect nonpareil John Lautner has been found in L.A.'s Echo Park neighborhood. Built in 1948, when Lautner was about a decade removed from his time as a Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice, the Jules Salkin Residence has spent 65 years of architectural anonymity with the same owner. Now that it's been enfolded in the warm embrace of Lautner's lauded body of work—which includes Bob Hope's mind-blowing 'mushroom' estate, the pointed space-age flair of the Wolff house, and a host of other head-turners, like Gwyneth Paltrow's Malibu pad—it's set to get publicly listed for a yet-to-be-nailed-down price as soon as next Monday.
As the John Lautner Foundation tells it, the house has been rented out for the last 17 years by a family that's "been unable to do all of the repairs necessary over the years, so it is a little run-down." That much can be gathered from the photos, but Curbed L.A. is undeterred by the drabness, noting the home's "excellent siting, fantastic built-ins, and lovely use of light." On the prosaic side of things, the abode has three bedrooms and two baths, a 1966 addition by Arthur Silvers, and according to the official site, an "adjacent, mostly flat, hillside lot, with almost 10,000sf and similarly spectacular views, will be listed separately."
Listing agent Steven Gutierrez-Kovner, who grew up in the house and has been working with Lautner's daughter on the sale, claims to have already fielded inquiries from around the world, and is looking for a preservation-minded buyer. Catch a glimpse of this newly discovered gem below, and stop by Curbed LA for more archival photos.
· "Lost" Echo Park Lautner Unearthed and Coming Up For Sale [Curbed LA]
· Long Lost Lautner-First Time on Market in 65 Years [Official Site]
· All John Lautner coverage [Curbed National]
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