Rudolph Schindler (1887-1953)
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Born in Vienna, R.M. Schindler, 1887 - 1953, graduated from the Fine Arts Academy studying under Otto Wagner. Like Neutra, he was a protege of Adolf Loos, especially influenced by his "Raumplan," which divided a space in section according to use. Schindler left Europe in 1914 to work in America and for Frank Lloyd Wright; after a three-year tenure, he arrived in California in 1921 and a year later built his seminal house, which many consider one of the most important Modern houses of the 20 century. His legacy to contemporary progressive architecture, especially in Southern California, is very palpable. This is for two reasons: the first, because he understood the primary new material of the 20 century not as something physical but space itself, a "plastic" medium to be molded and sculpted, liberated to dissolve the boundaries between indoors and out. Secondly, Schindler's every design is the creative quest for a unique resolution. These were often so strikingly individual that a Schindler project didn't so much offer but require "design-build" in which architect gets their hands dirty as contractors, a far different paradigm than the "gentleman architect" of Alberti or the Ecole. Finally, Schindler had little business with the International Style, or any "style." The design, which often included cleverly resolved built-in furniture, evolved from the the idea, the site, the user. Like Wright (and Craftsman architects), for example, he eschewed white for earth tone colors that responded to the rich bright white of Southern California and harmonized with the landscape. With Neutra, Schindler developed a singular "critical regionalism" that continues to inspire today. Barbara Lamprecht
Selected Works:
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Buck Residence, (1934) Los Angeles
One of Schindler's best houses from the 1930s
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Kings Road Residence, (1922) West Hollywood, Ca
Groundbreaking tilt slab studio for Schindler open to public tours
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The SAH/SCC Connection:
Exiles and Emigre's in Los Angeles Modern Architecture Tour (1997)
Additional Resources :
Buy Now at Powell's and a portion of the sales price goes to SAH/SCC
"R M Schindler" edited by Lionel March and Judith Sheine, Academy Editions, 1993
USC School of Architecture
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