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HOME > DIALOGUE+IDEAS > POSTCARD FROM A RECENT EVENT |
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POSTCARD FROM SHOSHONE
Are we there yet? This is what was going through my mind as we entered the town of Baker, home of the Bun Boy restaurant and the world's largest thermometer. Baker, CA, is also the turnoff point to travel north up to the town of Shoshone, our destination. There were still more than 60 miles to go, but the ride was enjoyable with beautiful desert mountains to gaze at. We were on our way to the SAH/SCC Modern Patrons event, featuring the Richard Neutra-designed Sorrells Residence from 1957. As we drove, I wondered how Neutra ever came to design and build a house in such a remote place. We were soon to find out. The house was easy to find; there are few streets in the town, and we hit on the right one immediately. Shoshone is cute, with some cafes and old motels. The house was easily identifiable as a Neutra-with its long, low profile and walls of glass-and it looked like nothing else around it. The house was in original condition, something I love to see so I can get the feeling of what it was really like when built. After a look around, we sat down for the discussion portion of the event with our hostess Susan Sorrells, who grew up in the house when her parents worked with Neutra. She still lives there and maintains it today. Her parents were not typical of rural eastern California. They had diplomatic ties and were interested in art and architecture. Also in attendance were two architects from Neutra's office, John Blanton and Don Polsky, who discussed the process. In those days, they created and presented a client with a set number and type of drawings (plan, section, perspective, etc.) and that was it! Very often the client accepted the design on the spot and they moved forward. As an architect myself, I found this particularly interesting, as it is not typical of how we do things today. Neutra's youngest son Raymond was also in attendance and was full of insights into the workings of his father and his office. He was very good at asking stimulating questions that brought out some great stories. One such story was about Neutra and his wife Dione arriving for a surprise visit after the house was completed. They stayed for seven to 10 days in the guest suite. Mrs. Neutra brought her cello and performed in the evenings. Several ideas popped into my head as I pictured the Neutras visiting with the Sorrells. I thought that the trip to Shoshone might have been more arduous back then than now and might have taken many hours. What kind of car did the Neutras arrive in? I also had the suspicion that Neutra had himself in mind when he designed the private guest suite for the house. Though it was a trek, it was well worth it. The opportunities to visit with original homeowners and to experience these remarkable houses are rare and shouldn't be passed up. We saw an original Neutra house, met and heard about the owner and her interesting life, and got a picture of what it was like to work in Neutra's office. Got a great lunch too. Our thanks to the owner for opening up her house to us, and to John Berley and Sian Winship for organizing this wonderful event. Brent Eckerman Want to share your images or ideas? Email your suggestions to our webmaster.
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