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In 1992 it was bought and renovated to its original design by couple Brent Harris, an investment manager, and Beth Edwards Harris, an architectural historian. Designed by Richard Neutra, considered one of the most influential Modernist architects of the 20th century, the Kaufmann Desert House was originally commissioned and owned by Pittsburgh department store owner Edgar J Kaufmann, Sr. The property was built in 1946 as somewhere to retreat to during the cold Pennsylvania winters.
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Alternatively, according to the listing agent, "it could easily be made more stylish by converting it to a Spanish style." At this point, Beth and Brent Harris decided to purchase and restore the house. There is no overstating how important this house was to the architectural history of Palm Springs. Today, it is one of the first homes that many people think of when they are picturing MCM desert homes in California.
Richard Neutra's Kaufmann House epitomises desert modernism in Palm Springs
The north wing is the guest’s quarters, which are publicly accessible, but retain their private function as they are kept separated from the rest of the house. The west wing of the house is the service wing, left fairly secluded from the rest of the open plan design. The east wing is the most privatized area of the house, as it was Kaufmann’s master suite. Designed by international architect Richard Neutra, the house was commissioned by Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr. as a place of retreat from the harsh winters of his native Pittsburgh. Kaufmann was no stranger to important works of architecture, as a little short of 10 years earlier he’d commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design another getaway home for him, the epochal Fallingwater residence.
richard neutra's iconic kaufmann desert house in palm springs is for sale
It's a Mod World: The Origins of Palm Springs Modernism Week - Los Angeles Magazine
It's a Mod World: The Origins of Palm Springs Modernism Week.
Posted: Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
If his name rings a bell, it might be because you also know him as the original owner of Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Fallingwater house in Pennsylvania. The Kaufmann House, or Kaufmann Desert House, in Palm Springs, California, was designed by Richard Neutra in 1946. It was one of the last domestic projects conducted by the architect, but it is also arguably one of his most famous homes. Marmol Radziner spent more than five years painstakingly revamping the Kaufmann Desert House in a thoughtful process that included an on-site archaeological excavation and poring over Neutra’s archives at UCLA.
History
They were able to obtain pieces from the original suppliers of paint and fixtures, and purchased a metal-crimping machine to reproduce the sheet-metal fascia that lined the roof. A unique feature of the house is its second-floor, open-air covered patio—designed by Neutra as a way of getting around strict local building regulations that, at the time, restricted home construction to a single level. Julius Shulman’s photographs, mainly the dusk shot from the southeast overlooking the pool with the mountains in the background, allowed people worldwide to view the house. The large amount of publicity surrounding the Kaufmann House constituted a turning point in the marketing and consumption of architecture and lifestyle. Those owners, Brent Harris, an investment manager, and Beth Edwards Harris, an architectural historian, are finalizing their divorce, and plan to auction the Kaufmann House at Christie’s in New York in May. The building, with a presale estimate of $15 million to $25 million, will be part of Christie’s high-profile evening sale of postwar and contemporary art.
A Landmark Modernist House Heads to Auction
And each time, any potential buyer will go ‘Ahhh, yes.’ It’s the defining view of the house,” says Bisignano. And to give the open look and feel of the home’s bolder-strewn grounds back in 1947, the Harrises bought several adjoining lots to more than double the size of the homesite to 2.18 acres. “I think more than 300 magazine articles have been written about this truly remarkable restoration. It set the gold standard for the renovation of a landmark property like this,” explains Bisignano. Here, we spotlight the stunning Kaufmann Desert House located in Palm Springs, California, as part of The National's International Property of the Week series. The Kaufmann Desert House inspired the work of famed architectural photographer Julius Shulman and Slim Aarons, who was known for his images of the American high life.
The Kaufmann Desert House by Richard Neutra
The mid-20th century marked the rise of the International Style, characterized by minimalism, open floor plans, and a harmonious blend of aesthetic simplicity and functionalism. Edgar J. Kaufmann, a prominent Pittsburgh department store owner, was deeply embedded in the architectural innovations of his time. Having previously commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to create the iconic Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, Kaufmann’s collaboration with Richard Neutra signified a pivot towards the burgeoning modernist movement on the West Coast. In 1923, he moved to the US, where he worked with Frank Lloyd Wright and close friend Rudolf Schindler.
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The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona Spain, by architect Antoni Gaudi is a seminal work of architecture. Listen to the story of how the cathedral came to fruition and why it is one of the most important works of architecture in history. If you are an Orange County property owner, you may be interested in the new loan program aimed at helping homeowners build an ADU on their property. Orange County Housing Finance Trust has developed a program to encourage property owners to invest in an ADU by providing access to low-interest, deferred, partially forgivable loans for qualified owners. A small amount of controversy came about with the commissioning of the Kaufmann House when Austrian architect Richard Neutra was hired to do the job instead of Wright.
The house has been featured in numerous films, advertisements, and fashion shoots, each time serving as a symbol of stylish modern living and the seamless integration of architecture and nature. Its representation in popular media has played a pivotal role in shaping public perceptions of modernist architecture, portraying it as an ideal of sophistication and modern American lifestyle. After immigrating from Austria, Neutra started his career in America working for a series of well-known architects. His career took off and his work in Southern California began after an old classmate, Rudolph Schindler, encouraged him to move there. Schindler is best known for 1929’s Lovell House in Los Angeles, which is believed to be one of the first steel-framed homes in America and is celebrated for its extensive glass windows and cable-suspended balconies. Not surprisingly, Richard Neutra became famous for designing his houses in the International Style, using a great deal of glass and metal in his projects—just what Kaufmann was after to better observe the desert environs.
These photographs do more than merely document the structure; they encapsulate Neutra’s vision of blending architecture with its environment, creating a visual narrative that communicates the essence of modernism to a global audience. Shulman’s ability to capture the elegance and tranquil beauty of the Kaufmann House helped cement its place in architectural history and inspired a generation of architects and designers to embrace the principles of modernism. Commissioned by Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr., the Pittsburgh department store magnate who had commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright about a decade earlier to build Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, the house was designed as a desert retreat from harsh winters. Constructed as a series of horizontal planes that seem to float over glass walls, the house seems to absorb the mood of the surrounding desert.
The Kaufmann Desert House designed by Richard Neutra is regarded among the most important and iconic houses of the 20th century," reads the listing by Sotheby's International Realty. It can give insight into our ancestors' customs, rituals, technologies, religions, and daily life. Architecture can provide a deeper understanding of the evolution and development of the human species. It allows us to have a holistic perspective on our place in the context of humanity. From prehistoric structures to contemporary architecture, we can see what was important to humans at the time and what were they trying to say through their buildings.
Quincy Jones for media mogul Walter Annenberg, the original estate is comprised of 25,000 square foot house on 200 acres. As you approach the house from the south, you walk through two piles of desert boulders toward a site gate. A handsome southwestern profile composed of vertical stone walls and floating metal planes sits just beyond. From this angle, the structure looks more like an open-air desert pavilion than a home. The home is a one-story structure that subtly accommodates itself to the site by stepping up slightly on three levels, made more dramatic through the introduction of a roofed (but otherwise open-air) second floor room.
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