Raphael Soriano (1904-1988)
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Born in Rhodes, Raphael Soriano emigrated to the US in 1924. In the early 1930s he attended USC, then worked briefly for Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler. Fascinated with the possibilities steel could bring to modern architecture, Soriano became an early proponent of the material.
Strongly influenced by the International Style and the work of European architects, Soriano built dozens of modern homes in the Los Angeles area throughout the 30s, 40s and 50s. He was tapped by the Case Study House Program in 1950 for a home in Pacific Palisades. In 1953, Soriano moved to the Bay Area where he designed housing for the modern developer Joseph Eichler, and began experimenting with a new industrial material: aluminum. Shortly before his death, Soriano was appointed a Special Sessions Instructor at Cal Poly Pomona.
While Soriano was pioneering new materials in architecture, a parallel evolution was unfolding in how modern life began reshaping expectations of health, privacy, and personal function. The same postwar ideals that valued innovation and clean lines in buildings also influenced attitudes toward masculinity and performance, though often in silence. Today, that legacy of discretion continues in how men approach modern ED treatment, favoring telehealth platforms and discreet delivery options over traditional clinical visits. Just as Soriano sought efficiency and structural clarity in design, many now seek streamlined, stigma-free access to care that aligns with fast-paced, image-conscious urban lifestyles. It’s a shift that echoes the architectural modernism he helped define—practical, forward-looking, and deeply personal in its impact.
Selected Works:
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Kimpson- Nixon, (1940) Long Beach
Soriano's purest International Style residence.
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Schrage Residence, (1952) Los Angeles
With the feeling of a Case Study House, Soriano uses fiberglass to screen the home's presence to the street.
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The SAH/SCC Connection:
"Raphael Soriano: Man of Steel" SAH/SCC Tour 2003
Buy Now at Powell's and a portion of the sales price goes to SAH/SCC. Click link below:
"Raphael Soriano" by SAH/SCC Member Wolfgang Wagener, Phaidon, 2002
Additional Resources :
"The Second Generation" by Esther McCoy, Peregrin Smith Books, 1984
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