Richard Neutra's Gem

Richard Neutra had a profound influence on the development of California modern architecture, yet his is hardly a household name.

With a renewed interest in mid-century California, howver, and an expanding catalog of new modern homes,  this is a good time to learn about this important architect who was Man of the Year on the cover of Time Magazine in 1949. 

Most of Neutra's projects were in Southern California, but between 1930 and 1940, he designed several residences in the greater Bay Area, including one in Los Altos Hills and what he named "Three Small Houses in an Orchard" in Los Altos. In 2005, the sole surviving cottage, 750 square feet, was moved from the original property on Marvin Avenue to 181 Hillview Ave. to be transformed into a small conference center—the Los Altos Neutra House.

How did an Austrian émigré come to be a major force in California modern architecture? His son, Raymond, says that Neutra "announced his decision" to be an architect in 1900, at age 8. Interaction with Viennese pioneers Adolf Loos and Otto Wagner set him on his course when he was a young man. But he was most drawn to the work of Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright.

At the turn of the 20th century, America was just coming into its own, and the rapid growth of cities brought great innovations in architecture. Neutra came to America in 1923, worked briefly in Chicago and for Wright, then set out for Los Angeles. Those were heady times.

A new excitement permeated the arts at the turn of the century. Paul Cézanne shaped the future of painting with his view that all of nature was modeled on simple geometric forms. "Form follows function" was the mantra for a new generation of architects who sought to liberate building design from the restrictions of the past.

Neutra also saw clarity of expression and honest presentation of materials without historic ornamentation as most fitting for a new century, a new world. Open floor plans, large expanses of glass and integration of interior and exterior spaces are all hallmarks of Neutra's style.

People talk of "living in an Eichler," when they speak proudly of the distinctive mid-century tract homes by the developer who brought California Modern to the middle class. Yet most of Joseph Eichler's architects are not well known to the average homeowner. The impact of Richard Neutra's philosophy on these and other designers is even more obscure to the general population.

Perhaps his most significant gift was as an educator: Neutra trained many who became leading architects. He wrote books and gave lectures around the world. The architects of the new millennium are still grounded in Neutra's concepts as they shape designs with their own innovations.

See LA Modern, But With a Twist for information about the biennial Bay Area Modern speaker series and LA Modern Home Tour. 

To learn more about Neutra, see www.neutra.org.
The Los Altos Neutra House site also has a video about his life and work. 

Jan Masters is a member of the Los Altos Neutra House Campaign Committee and chair of the 2010 "LA Modern" Home Tour.