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Despite the neat precision of the Desert House, it evokes the spirit of the houses of those Indian tribes, which he admired so much. The second in our series highlighting the best buildings in Palm Springs during the city's Modernism Week is Richard Neutra's Kaufmann House, one of the most revered examples of residential architecture in the style. Through its thoughtful design and integration with the landscape, the Kaufmann House exemplifies Neutra’s ability to create environments that reflect their owners’ personalities and are responsive to their natural surroundings. Vertical aluminum louvers, providing protection against the harsh desert heat, are also a striking design feature of the Kaufmann Desert House.
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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. The house still stands today and is considered one of the essential pieces of 20th-century architecture among projects such as Fallingwater, Robie House, Gropius House, and Gamble House. Before the invention and widespread use of photography in the architectural industry, people had to visit buildings to see and experience them.
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Unlike Taliesin West, which implemented more earthy tones and materials, Neutra employed a more modernist and international style approach using glass, steel, and some stone in the design. That’s why the Desert House, built in 1946 by Austrian-born architect Richard Neutra for retail tycoon Edgar J. Kaufmann, stands out all the more. Fusing glass, steel, and stone, "it is an architectural marvel that helped define the modernist aesthetic," says Gerard Bisignano, partner at Vista Sotheby’s International Realty, who is handling the sale of the 3,162-square-foot home. A number of owners have lived in the house Kaufmann died in 1955, including celebrities such as Barry Manilow. Over time, the house fell victim to poorly conceived renovations and then disrepair and a lack of concern about the modern dwelling. In 1992, a couple with a keen appreciation 20th Century modern homes purchased the house and through five years of extensive research, meticulously returned Kaufmann House back to the glory of its heyday.
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Desert gardens and, lawns, a pool and terraces are blended with the indoors using sliding glass walls. Other techniques include his use of buff-colored Utah sandstone that covers the walls that run their length, from outside to inside, for a feeling of continuity. 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.
On my first visit, I was disappointed to discover that only a small part of the house is visible from the road. Arguably the most famous home in Palm Springs, in 1996 it was the twentieth1 building to be designated as a local landmark, or "Class 1 Site" as protected properties are known locally. In 2008, a small crowd of about thirty people gathered at the site for the dedication of a bronze marker denoting the designation. The crowd included a couple of friends of mine, the mayor, and owners Beth and Brent Harris who accomplished the exacting restoration. After the crowd dispersed, Beth (who is devoted to an informed public) spontaneously invited the few of us who lingered for a private tour.
The property was also enlarged to suit Neutra's vision for a desert retreat, and replacement stonework was mined from a quarry in Utah to match the original construction. The Kaufmann house was included in a list of all time top 10 houses in Los Angeles, despite its being in Palm Springs, in a Los Angeles Times survey of experts in December 2008. 10 years after the design of Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright in Bear Run, Pennsylvania, the Kaufmann’s were looking for a residence that could be used to escape the cold winters of the northeast, which would primarily be used during January. The Kaufmann Desert House is arranged like a pinwheel, with various wings radiating from the central living and dining room.
The Kaufmann House is now considered to be an architectural landmark and one of the most important houses in the 20th Century. The north wing is the guest’s quarters that are publicly accessible, but retain their private needs as they are separated from the rest of the house. The west wing of the house is the service wing, which is fairly secluded from the rest of the open plan design. The east wing is the most privatized aspect of the house as it is the Kaufmann’s master suite. The design of the house is quite simplistic; at the center of the house is the living room and the dining room that is the heart of the house and the family activity.
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Following its stint with Hollywood’s best, it was again left vacant for several more years. The Kaufmann House was designed and built when American architecture was undergoing significant transformation. 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. Austrian-born Neutra was working at the forefront of modern residential architecture, using lots of glass, steel, and stone in his designs.
Kaufman House is described as “an architectural marvel that helped define the modernist aesthetic of the resort city of Palm Springs” and has Class 1 Historic Site designation from the Palm Springs City Council. Before Frank Sinatra commissioned his Twin Palms Estate or Elvis and Priscilla honeymooned in the “House of Tomorrow,” department-store magnate Edgar Kaufmann asked Richard Neutra to design him a home in the California desert. Now, for the first time in 11 years, that house — which helped define postwar modernism in Palm Springs — is for sale. Designed by architect Richard Neutra for department store king Edgar J. Kaufmann in 1946 the Southern California home has a history of famous owners, including musician Barry Manilow. The Harrises also bought several adjoining plots to more than double the land around the 3,200-square-foot house, restoring the desert buffer that Neutra envisioned. They rebuilt a pool house that serves as a viewing pavilion for the main house, and kept a tennis court that was built on a parcel added to the original Kaufmann property.
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The site for the Kaufmann Desert House was positioned southeast of a high mountain range, with views opening eastward towards the desert landscape. The lot was roughly 200 by 300 feet and, at the time, was barren with very few surrounding structures. Today a suburban neighborhood surrounds the house, and the lot is almost entirely enclosed at its perimeter by tall shrubs. Although both have unprotected glass in the southern part of a home located in the middle of the desert seems crazy, this is because the house was to be used only one month per year, in January. The south wing connects to the public sphere and includes a marquee and two long covered walkways.
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Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr. (1885–1955) and Liliane Kaufmann (1889–1952), Neutra’s clients, had been patrons of modern art and architecture for many years, mainly in the Midwest, where they owned a department store in Pittsburgh. Until they commissioned the Desert House, the Kaufmanns had been loyal patrons of Frank Lloyd Wright, who had designed an office for E. Kaufmann inside the department store (now at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London) and Fallingwater near Mill Run, Pennsylvania, both completed in 1937. While the house favors an east-west axis, four long perpendicular wings extend in each cardinal direction from the living areas. Thoughtful placement of larger rooms at the end of each wing helps define adjacent outdoor rooms, with circulation occurring both indoors and out. In October 2008 the house was listed for sale for $12.95 million after a previous auction sale fell through, but it did not sell.
In 1946 Edgar Kaufmann commissioned Richard Neutra to design a winter vacation home in Palms Springs, California. A decade earlier, he hired Frank Lloyd Wright to design his renowned Fallingwater house. However, while still an enthusiast of Wright’s work, Edgar wanted a lighter feeling than their Fallingwater home and felt Neutra could deliver. As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. The rear facade of the house opens to the landscape and garden, while the facade overlooking the street appears closed, with its facade of ashlar stone.
In 1992 Beth Harris, an architectural tourist of a sort, scaled a fence one afternoon to peek at the famous house while her husband discovered a for-sale sign in an overgrown hedge. But Dr. Harris, who worked toward her doctorate in architectural history while restoring the Kaufmann House, said she believed an auction would further the preservationist cause. While Beth Harris may have moved to Los Angeles, many feel her heart has stayed behind in Palm Springs.
In 1934, he and his wife Liliane commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to build their weekend home along Bear Run in southwestern Pennsylvania—which would become Wright’s masterpiece Fallingwater—as well as Kaufmann’s office. On the California coast, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, high up on the hill, sits a true masterpiece of California architecture, the Hearst Castle. The Hearst Castle was brought into fruition through Julia Morgan, an unassuming, shy and passionate architect and William Randolph Hearst, a wealthy media tycoon who shared Morgan’s passion and interest in art and architecture.
Constructed in 1946, this residence was designed for Edgar J. Kaufmann, a discerning client known for patronizing exceptional architectural works, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. The surface of the home is composed of sandy-colored Utah stone and floor to ceiling windows, which promotes an even more feeling of a sinuous space. The pool adds a certain fluidity to the overall design of the property, balancing the heaviness of the home with its uneven wing sizes. The house was initially built with a pool house, which has now been replaced with a pavilion that serves as a convenient entertainment center and kitchen. The birth of modern architecture had originated in the early part of the 20th century in Europe.
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