Wrong South American country, but there's still a bit of Gabriel Garcia Marquez magic to this LA magazine story: In the 60s, Oscar Niemeyer was asked to design a home in Santa Monica after director Joseph Strick wrote to the Brazilian architect. "It was as if an anonymous resident of Rio de Janeiro had asked Frank Gehry to sketch him a home while the architect was composing his masterwork in Bilbao," notes the mag.
Niemeyer, who wasn't allowed entry into the US at the time, mailed sketches to Strick and did the project for free. Eventually Strick and his wife divorced, sold the property, developers almost tore the thing down, and then a couple named Michael and Gabrielle Boyd moved in and saved the day with their fabulous modern style. Fascinating story.
· Lost Then Found [LA Magazine]