JOHN LAUTNER

Architect John Lautner was behind some of the most striking and innovative architectural designs in the mid 20th-century America. With the designs for homes and commercial buildings primarily in Southern California, Lautner’s innovative work captured the pioneering optimism of the 1950’s America. A time of space-age technology, economic growth, and affluence. Today, several of Lautner’s houses are labeled Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments. Lautner’s projects focused on the relationship between humans, space, and natures. He was always particularly sensitive to the surrounding environment and would often integrate water and natural landscapes into his designs. His houses are characterized by sweeping rooflines, glass-paneled walls, and steel beams, in a heady combination of fantasy and minimalism. Eschewing architectural orthodoxies, Lautner emphasized geometric shapes such as circles and triangles, incorporating myriad technological innovations.  Lautner by Barbara-Ann Campbell-Lange, TASCHEN, September 2016