Housing some of the hugest pieces of architectural art you could imagine, Westwood is really one enormous museum.
Except that in most museums on a Sunday morning you wouldn’t find beer cans on lawns, stiletto heels in gutters, or partygoers wearing mean hangovers (and very little else) trying to figure out exactly how they ended up sleeping with a family of squirrels in the bushes on Midvale Avenue.
True, it’s not the type of environment where you would expect to find world-famous architectural landmarks. The luster of some of these buildings’ architectural mastery is often outshined by the glimmer of beer cans and broken glass, leaving many of these apartments’ rich history and artistic significance undiscovered or long forgotten.
If Westwood were a museum, the prominent artist would be Richard Neutra (1892-1970), considered one of the world’s most influential modern architects, who designed several of Westwood’s apartment complexes including the Landfair Apartments (better known as the Co-op’s Robison Hall), the Kelton Apartments, Elkay Apartments, and the Strathmore Apartments. The Sheets (L’Horizon) Apartments, better known among the UCLA community as “Tree House,” were designed by famed architect and apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, John Lautner. All of the buildings were declared historical-cultural landmarks by the city of Los Angeles in the late 1980s.
The Landfair Apartments are probably one of the most alarming of Westwood’s repertoire of architectural landmarks, as the building is actually used as a dormitory. While the vast number of windows and clean, straight lines are indicative of Neutra’s modern flair, the collages of Victoria’s Secret models and other magazine clippings stuck to the windows reveal the presence of students.
“Damn, I had no idea the Co-op was done by someone famous,” said Mert Sutlugou, resident of Robison Hall. “I mean, come on, it’s the Co-op. No one would believe it’s famous, but I’m going to tell everyone now.”
Executive director of the Co-op Arusha Weerasinghe was aware that the building was a landmark, but says that it’s not given any special treatment. “We expect students to treat all (three of the Co-op’s) buildings with respect,” Weerasinghe said. “We respect the building based on its history, but we try to take care of all three equally.”
The building was renovated in 1991 and is said to have been “restored to its original splendor.” But Dion Neutra, son and partner of Richard Neutra, who has been involved in the restoration and preservation of his father’s architecture, is disappointed at the current state of the Landfair Apartments.
“I was sorry about the fact that they painted all the windows white and the originals were aluminum. It changes the character a lot,” Dion said in a phone interview.
The extensive use of windows in the Landfair Apartments is something that is a rarity in buildings today due to energy conservancy rules, but was one of Neutra’s premier ways to fulfill his aim to place man in relationship with nature. The vast use of windows is also apparent in the Strathmore Apartments (11005 Strathmore Ave.) which are tucked in dense, lush landscaping, providing tenants with a view of natural beauty.
The Strathmore Apartments, owned by the Neutra family until recently, are known for their stylistic importance as well as their history of occupants. Notable residents have included Oscar-winning actress Luise Rainer as well as Vicente Minnelli and Orson Welles, who both reportedly had apartments for themselves and their respective mistresses. Despite the building’s location in a college town, it is mainly occupied by professionals. Dion said he did allow students to live there at one time, but regrets that decision, as it ended in damage to the apartment and a lawsuit in small claims court.
“It was a terrible experience. I tried to avoid having students as much as possible after that,” Dion said.
But whether you live in an architectural landmark or not, part of living in a college town is dealing with parties, noise and all of the liveliness that students bring.
“We wish we could get the students to be more respectful,” Dion said. “All of their loud parties and noise are a constant disturbance to residents, but I guess that’s the way it is; you have to be noisy to be a student.”
Another building with the duality of being both a student habitat as well as a landmark is the Tree House. Designed by modernist John Lautner, the Tree House has been considered one of the most unique buildings in Westwood, both functionally and aesthetically. A free-form structure with seven units, each having its own terrace, deck or garden space, this building is another example of the modernist aim to connect man with nature. However, in a word association test with the building, students would doubtfully say “architectural marvel,” and would more likely come up with “party” or “kegger.”
“I guarantee other students have no idea that it’s an architectural landmark,” said A.J. Espinoza, 2002 alumnus and former Tree House resident. “Tree House is known as a party place. It’s like 424 (Landfair), and it’s close to the frat houses, so it’s a perfect spot to party, but it’s nothing destructive. It’s part of living in a college town.”
Fariba Ghaffari, manager of Tree House, architect and UCLA School of Arts and Architecture alumna, commented on how difficult it is to manage and maintain a building in a college town. In the last decade, the complex has been renovated twice: once in 1991 and a second time in 1994, when the building was photographed and visited by Lautner himself.
Even though most students aren’t aware of the structure’s significance, as an appreciator of architecture, Ghaffari makes an effort to tell renters when showing the building. Dion also is an advocate for more awareness in the community.
“These are cultural landmarks and have been recognized by the city as such and should really be respected,” Dion said.
But students won’t stop living in Westwood any sooner than these buildings will stop being landmarks.
“I appreciate (Tree House’s) architecture. It’s cool to look at, people are always commenting on how nice it is,” Espinoza said. “But people are also just out for a good time. We’re college students.”