Los Angeles Department of City Planning RECOMMENDATION REPORT

Transcription

1 Los Angeles Department of City Planning RECOMMENDATION REPORT CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION HEARING DATE: January 21, 2010 TIME: 10:00 AM PLACE: City Hall, Room N. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA CASE NO.: CHC HCM ENV CE Location: 302 N. Mesa Road Council District: 11 Community Plan Area: Brentwood-Pacific Palisades Area Planning Commission: West Los Angeles Neighborhood Council: None Legal Description: Lot FR 389 of TR 1719 PROJECT: REQUEST: APPLICANT/ OWNER: APPLICANT S REPRESENATIVE: RECOMMENDATION Historic-Cultural Monument Application for the BARSHA HOUSE Declare the property a Historic-Cultural Monument Scott Lander 414 S. Highland Avenue Los Angeles, CA Vanessa Withers 419 Concord Ave. Monrovia, CA That the Cultural Heritage Commission: 1. Take the property under consideration as a Historic-Cultural Monument per Los Angeles Administrative Code Chapter 9, Division 22, Article 1, Section because the application and accompanying photo documentation suggest the submittal may warrant further investigation. 2. Adopt the report findings. S. GAIL GOLDBERG, AICP Director of Planning [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Ken Bernstein, AICP, Manager Office of Historic Resources [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Lambert M. Giessinger, Preservation Architect Office of Historic Resources Prepared by: [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Edgar Garcia, Preservation Planner Office of Historic Resources Attachments: November 28, 2009 Historic-Cultural Monument Application ZIMAS Report

2 302 N. Mesa Rd. CHC HCM Page 2 of 3 SUMMARY Built in 1938 and located in the Santa Monica Canyon area of Pacific Palisades, this one-story single-family residence exhibits character-defining features of International Style architecture. The proposed Barsha House historic monument has a low horizontal profile with an asymmetrical façade and slanted roof. A gradual, unelaborated row of steps leads to the residence s west entrance while an attached garage is accessed from the east. The front façade has a partial-width porch with roof overhang and horizontal metal railing. Clad in smooth stucco with unadorned wall expanses, the subject building s exterior is characterized by horizontal ribbons of steel casement windows lacking decorative detailing or trim. The T- shaped plan includes a central living room and wings of one-room depth. The western wing is comprised of two main bedrooms and a bathroom and the eastern portion of the floor plan includes a kitchen and maid s quarters with a bathroom. Significant interior features of the house include an intact floor plan with a linear circulation pattern, bathroom fixtures, and extensive custom designed built-in furniture. The subject building was designed by master architect Richard Joseph Neutra ( ) with P. Pfisterer listed as a collaborator. Neutra, an internationally recognized architect, is recognized for his significant contributions to the advancement of the Modern architecture in Los Angeles. Born in Vienna in 1892, Neutra received his architectural education in Europe under the guidance of Adolf Loos and worked for Erich Mendelsohn in Berlin before immigrating to the United States in After working briefly for Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin, in 1925, Neutra moved to Los Angeles where he collaborated with Rudolf Schindler on numerous projects including the Lovell Beach House (1926). He subsequently developed his own practice and went on to design numerous buildings embodying the International Style, twelve of which are designated as Historic Cultural Monuments (HCM), including the Lovell Heath House (HCM #123; 1929) and the Richard and Dion VDL Research House (HCM #640; 1966). At the time of the Barsha residence commission in the 1930s, Neutra s international reputation had already been recognized. The Barsha House appears to be a significant and important record of Neutra s work during the late 1930s and shares many of the design details used in his other buildings of the period. The proposed monument was constructed in 1938 for film producer and director, Leon Barsha. The building is not on its original site. It was moved from 4859 Westpark in North Hollywood to its current address in the mid 1950s to avoid demolition as a result of the Hollywood freeway extension. Additions to the subject building include two reflecting ponds that flank the T-section of the north elevation. A carport was added after the house s relocation, but subsequently removed. In 2007, electrical and plumbing systems were repaired and restoration work was conducted on interior finishes. CRITERIA The criterion is the Cultural Heritage Ordinance which defines a historical or cultural monument as any site (including significant trees or other plant life located thereon) building or structure of particular historic or cultural significance to the City of Los Angeles, such as historic structures or sites in which the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, State or community is reflected or exemplified, or which are identified with historic personages or with important events in the main currents of national, State or local history or which embody the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period style

3 302 N. Mesa Rd. CHC HCM Page 3 of 3 or method of construction, or a notable work of a master builder, designer or architect whose individual genius influenced his age. FINDINGS Based on the facts set forth in the summary and application, the Commission determines that the application is complete and that the property is significant enough to warrant further investigation as a potential Historic-Cultural Monument.

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