Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House is a beautiful example of this famed architect's work. The Hollyhock house was built for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall between 1919 and 1921 and was Frank Lloyd Wright's first Los Angeles project. The majority of his buildings are actually in Oak Park, Illinois where he designed 25 structures that were built between 1889 and 1913. Write is famous for his prairie style architecture of open spaces, and earth hugging buildings and furniture to match!
Frank Lloyd Wright had a prolific 70-year career during which he designed a plethora of amazing buildings. He has been called America's most innovative and creative architect and for good reason. 17 of his buildings have been designated by the American Institute of Architecture architectural as major contributions to American culture.
The Aline Barnsdall's "Hollyhock House", was named for the use of the hollyhock flower design used both on the homes interior and exterior as well as the furniture inside. As other Frank Lloyd Wright creations, the Hollyhock house has evokes a Mayan feel and makes perfect use of the site on which it was built.
Guests are not allowed to take interior photos except on very rare occassions. If you have the opportunity to see the Hollyhock house, notice how the theme of this flower is used throughout the interior and exterior archticture, window glass and particularly the furniture pieces.
The Hollyhock House was originally built as part of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Olive Hill", a thirty-six acre site theatre community, which never came to fruition. Aline Banrsdall Olive Hilss was to include a performing arts center where she could produce her own avant-garde plays. The Hollyhock house was to be her own residence, and the campus was also to include guest house "A" for the theater director, guest house "B", artists studios, ahd retail shops. However, only Barnsdall's resdence, the Hollyhock House and the 2 guest houses were completed before the project was abandoned.
Wright was working Tokyo's Imperial Hotel during the construction of the Hollyhock House so much of the construction supervision was left in the hands of his capable son and landscape architect Lloyd Wright and his assistant, famed architect Rudolf Schindler.
After losing interest in completing the Olive Hill theater complex as originally conceived, Aline Barnsdall donated the Hollyhock House and eleven surrounding acres to the City of Los Angeles for use as a public art park in 1927. Today the house is part of Barnsdall Art Park in Los Feliz Adjacent East Hollywood with a local art gallery and theater and the grounds are leased for various events throughout the year. Currently there are weekly Farmer's Markets held ath the park and during the summer month Silver Lake Wine hosts wine tasting events. Funds from such events combined with private donations have been used to rehabilitate the Hollyhock House and bring it back to its original glory for Angelinos and visitors to the area to enjoy.
Barnsdall Art Park is located at 4800 Hollywood Boulevard in the East Hollywood area of Los Angeles. Admission to the park is free but there is a nominal fee to view the interior of the Hollyhock House. Public tours are offered Wednesdays through Sundays
12:30, 1:30, 2:30 & 3:30 PM without reservations and private tours can be scheduled as well. Check the Hollyhock Hock site for Park and Tour Specifics.
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Jenny Durling
Broker Associate
L.A. Property Solutions
213-215-4758
info@LApropertySolutions.com
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Copyright © 2011 By Jenny Durling *The Hollyhock House in Los Angeles - a beautiful creation of Architect Frank Lloyd Wright*
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