marmol radziner associates breathe new life into lautner’s garcia residence

‘garcia residence’ by marmol radziner associates, los angeles, california, united states
image © benny chan
all images courtesy of marmol radziner

it is almost impossible to go through architecture school without learning of one of the masters, john lautner. many of his works are around today, but as architecture tends to need maintenance over time, it needed a careful renovation that would bring its functionality back to the 21st century, while respectfully keeping the original ideas in tact. california studio marmol radziner associates has undertaken the task of restoring lautner’s 1962 ‘garcia residence’ overlooking hollywood and los angeles. in order to maintain the distinguishing features – the memorable curved roof over the living spaces, colored glass panels, and v-shaped supports that anchor the home into its green hillside site – the architects performed in-depth research, which took several months. for example, to find the closest match to the original terrazzo marble no longer mined, lava rock was procured to renew chimney in the living room and the pantry area. the bedrooms saw the most change, as their fixtures and designs have been updated to accommodate a contemporary lifestyle, without compromising the original intention of the space.

image © benny chan

image © benny chan

image © benny chan

pool
image © richard powers

image © richard powers

view towards the house
image © richard powers

(left) entry
(right) upper living area
image © benny chan

living room
image © benny chan

bedroom
image © benny chan