Horatio West Court, National Historic residential complex in Santa Monica, United States.
Horatio West Court is a group of six small attached houses on a 60-foot lot, designed by Irving Gill in 1919. The narrow site is split symmetrically: two units flank a driveway that runs to a rear parking area, where two garages are topped with small apartments. Each building is a slightly inflected, flat-roofed two-story cube with a small entrance porch and a walled terrace; arched entryways and small patio courts recall the Mission Revival style.
Irving Gill designed and constructed Horatio West Court in 1919, making it one of the earliest modernist buildings in Southern California. The complex emerged during a time when architects began questioning traditional design principles through innovative forms and materials.
The arched entryways and small patio courts show Irving Gill's affinity for the Mission Revival style, while the flat-roofed two-story cubes themselves belong to the Modern Movement. Richard Neutra photographed the complex and published the images in his 1930 book Amerika: Neues Bauen in der Welt.
The residential complex is located in Santa Monica on Hollister Avenue, where you can explore the quiet courtyard area with its symmetrical arrangement. The best way to appreciate the architecture is to observe details from the outside, as it remains a private residential building.
Photographer and architect Richard Neutra documented this residential complex in a photographic series that was later published in his influential 1930 book. These images significantly contributed to recognizing Gill's innovative work in architectural history.
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