the leisurama housing project, design by raimond loewy associates, is branded as the epitomy of affordable second home summer living....................
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leisurama living on july 24, 1959, vice president richard nixon and soviet premier nikita khrushchev spent hours publicly debating cultural ideology at the american national exhibit in moscow. they also discussed about an all-american kitchen, designed by raymond loewy associates and furnished with general electric appliances. (the exhibit was built by all-state properties, a florida based property developer.) nixon saw this as an opportunity to discuss the lifestyle of the average american worker. khrushchev pointed at the kitchen behind him, and made it clear to nixon that he was not going to be made a fool of; 'don't you have a machine that puts food into the mouth and pushes it down? many things you've shown us are interesting but they are not needed in life... ' herbert sadkin, president of all-state properties, returned to the states elated that this much-publicized debate took place at HIS kitchen, and began making lucrative plans to bring the all-american concept to the next level; a community of affordable second homes. raymond loewy associates was again contacted, this time to design, not just the kitchen, but the entire house. andrew geller, best known for his freelance angular beach house design, was put on the project. several concepts were developed – some modernist, others highly conservative. 'in the long run the dollar prevailed,' said geller of sadkin’s decision to choose the most conservative, boxy and inexpensive-to-build model. thus was born the 'leisurama' house. macy's department store in new york city’s herald square served as the distributor for the project. the homes were to be built in montauk, NY (and some in lauderhill, florida) and came fully furnished with general electric appliances and every other necessity, including plates, towels, even toothbrushes. approximately 250 leisurama homes were built in montauk by 1964. leisurama houses were all about summer, family, the beach, and parties. posters advertising the houses showed people having a grand time in the sand. the 'leisurama' logo was in funky type, with a smiling sun dotting the 'i'. --- in a one hour documentary film, 'leisurama' will be told by on camera interviews of original and current house owners, the architect, builder, and historians. the documentary, conceived by jake gorst, is being developed through jonamac productions. the project is written by gorst and veteran filmmaker michael holder. the premier screening will be at the 'brand identity and packaging' design conference in chicago on june 23, 2003. --- http://www.explodedview.tv/leisurama http://www.iirusa.com/bipd/index.cfm/link=30 http://www.andrewmgeller.com --- advertisement leisurama housing in montauk, NY --- ------- monthly designboom newsletter ------- ------- ? comments and contact us ? -------	the leisurama logo advertisement for the florida, lauderhill leisurama homes raymond loewy image courtesy jake gorst andrew geller, the chief architectural designer at raymond loewy associates in the early 1960s. the leisurama housing project was under his direction. image courtesy jake gorst rendering by raimond loewy an early concept drawing from the loewy office snapshot taken when the homes were first built in montauk, NY interior sketch of the living room interior sketch of the kitchen leisurama home under construction in montauk, NY weekend utopia