Lovell House

The Lovell House is a modernist residence in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles with white wall surfaces and horizontal ribbon windows spanning three stories. The construction rests on steel girders projecting over a steep cliff face and offers open views across the Los Angeles Basin.

Richard Neutra designed this steel frame construction between 1927 and 1929 for physician Philip Lovell as a personal residence. The completion marked one of the first instances of steel skeleton residential architecture on the West Coast of the United States.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York selected this residence for its 1932 exhibition as a principal example of International Style architecture. The inclusion established the building as a reference point for modern domestic design across the United States.

The residence extends across three levels with approximately 4,800 square feet (446 square meters) and uses tension cables anchored into the rocky terrain. Visitors can observe the exterior construction from the footpath as the building continues to serve as a private home.

Ford Model-A headlights illuminate the central stairwell and demonstrate the use of industrial components in domestic space. This choice reflects the contemporary idea that modern living spaces could learn from production methods and materials of industry.