Hollyhock House, pt 2.
Like all Wright houses in Los Angeles, Hollyhock House is a mystery. There's a vast, ancient feeling to it, as a structure, it lies open to the elements, with its broad, flat rooves, its windows are small and deep, keeping the heat of the sun out (especially in a week like this!) But inside, under deep overhangs are walls of windows leading out to fountains and gardens. You can feel the Mayan and Aztec influences, in the squareness of the structures and the geometric nature of the motifs.Wright was attempting to find a style that fit the landscape of Southern California. He called these "Califonia Romanza" (romanza is a musical term, which means "freedom to make ones own form.") Though they may look like reinforced concrete, the bearing walls are actually hollow, then covered in terra cotta tile. The decorative effects are from a kind of proto-concrete poured into molds.
The house reopened to the public this year. Virginia Kazor, the city's historic curator for the house, told The San Diego Union-Tribune, "I've been in this house 100 times, and I'm still seeing things I've never seen before."
Hollyhock House
4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
(cross-streets Vermont Ave. and Edgemont Ave.)
posted by kuaptic. @ 8:09 AM
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