Schindler House, Modern architecture residence in West Hollywood, US
The Schindler House is a one-story West Hollywood residence of tilt-up concrete slabs poured on a flat slab that serves as both foundation and floor. The slabs are separated by 3-inch gaps filled with concrete, clear glass or frosted glass, and sliding canvas panels open the rooms to the garden. Two interlinking L-shaped apartments each contain two studios connected by a utility room, with redwood sleeping porches on the roof instead of bedrooms.
Schindler and his wife Pauline vacationed in Yosemite in October 1921, and the camp layout there shaped his design for two families sharing one house. Construction ran from November 1921 to June 1922 at a cost of $12,550, with Clyde Chace as builder. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; since 1994 the MAK Center for Art and Architecture has operated it for public visits.
The Chace apartment housed art dealer Galka Scheyer, dancer John Bovingdon, novelist Theodore Dreiser, photographer Edward Weston and composer John Cage. Pauline Schindler returned in the late 1930s to live in the Chace Studios until her death in May 1977. Since 1994 the MAK Center for Art and Architecture has run exhibitions, tours and a residency program here.
The house sits at 835 North Kings Road in West Hollywood and operates as a museum with guided tours available through advance booking. Visiting allows access to the living spaces and outdoor garden areas.
The building was originally designed for two couples who wanted to live together, featuring separate sleeping areas for each family and shared cooking and living spaces. This communal living arrangement was unusual for the 1920s and reflected experimental social ideas.
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