Design fans have long made pilgrimages up and down the Pacific Coast seeking architectural exemplars of the modernist movement. Now there's a new guidebook just for them. The Mid-Century Modern Architecture Travel Guide is not only required reading for architecture junkies, it's also a handy tool for stringing together midcentury modern road trips. Author Sam Lubell's evocative descriptions are paired with luscious photos by Darren Bradley (known on Instagram as @modarchitecture), and together, they cover all the classics and uncover some hidden gems.
Here are Lubell's picks for 15 must-see West Coast modern sites.
Lubell heaps praise upon this structure by the under-appreciated modernist legend William Pereira at the University of California San Diego. "This floating ziggurat on the campus of UCSD typifies the audacious structural gymnastics of late modernism," he says.
Commissioned by polio vaccine hero Jonas Salk, this is a building every design fan should see, says Lubell. "This is the Brutalist Taj Mahal. A mesmerizing combination of pure symmetry, raw weightiness, and ethereal lightness."
The recently refurbished "Camp David of the West" is known for hosting countless luminaries and presidents under its pink Mayan roof. "A fascinating mashup of midcentury elegance and Annenberg gaudiness," says Lubell.
This jewel box was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s perennially overlooked son Lloyd Wright, says Lubell. "The chapel of dark wood columns and glass walls completely disappears into its majestic surroundings."
"A floating glass cube hovers over the Hollywood Hills, pulling the Los Angeles basin below into its living room," says Lubell. The Stahl House (or Case Study House #22) may be the most famous midcentury building of all-time.
"This concrete wonder appears to float hundreds of tons of smooth concrete above your head," says Lubell. "Colorful, geometric light streams in, and you’re filled with awe."
This Berkeley masterpiece was made famous by photographer Man Ray. "The stunning hillside home lets you float over the San Francisco Bay and surrounds you in intricate, warm detailing," says Lubell.
Built for famed jazz musician Dave Brubeck and his family, this Oakland Hills home is essentially a bridge, says Lubell, "a long, narrow glass and steel bar hovering amidst the thick tree canopy on exposed steel beams above a carport."
Wright’s last work consists of a string of long, horizontal buildings, topped with curved blue roofs, bridging the tops of three hills. "The slender structures are connected by circular domes—one fitted with a jagged spire—evocative both of Middle Eastern design and Star Wars," says Lubell.
The campus of this resort town is stop #1 for many modernist pilgrimages, "This collection of rustic-inspired modern houses fuses with one of the most raw, beautiful seaside plots in the world," says Lubell.
"A subtle gem located on the grounds of a cliffside Benedictine abbey, this library unfolds in a surprising, superlative sequence of volume and light," says Lubell.
Sited on a woodsy 3.5 acre plot, this U-shaped residence is centered around a formal Japanese courtyard hidden by a large garden wall, says Lubell. "The most famous house in Portland epitomizes Yeon's masterful interpretation of modernism, merging the movement’s simplicity and functionality with Northwest materials and aesthetics and a significant Asian influence."
The undulating concrete tower has become an iconic part of Commencement Bay, says Lubell. "It combines the aesthetics of rocket ships, grain silos, and cake icing tubes, dotted with amazing oval-shaped windows—similar to boat portholes—that frame unique views from the rooms inside."
The cool modernist tower resting impossibly on a narrow concrete base was designed by the same architect as the World Trade Center. "You can’t believe it until you see it," says Lubell. "And even then you can’t believe it."
"I call this exquisite building in Seattle’s Ravenna-Bryant neighborhood an architectural mixing bowl, bringing together sublime, modulated light, Pacific native culture, and midcentury modern simplicity," says Lubell. "It also uses Eames chairs as pews. Awesome."
Lubell heaps praise upon this structure by the under-appreciated modernist legend William Pereira at the University of California San Diego. "This floating ziggurat on the campus of UCSD typifies the audacious structural gymnastics of late modernism," he says.
Commissioned by polio vaccine hero Jonas Salk, this is a building every design fan should see, says Lubell. "This is the Brutalist Taj Mahal. A mesmerizing combination of pure symmetry, raw weightiness, and ethereal lightness."
The recently refurbished "Camp David of the West" is known for hosting countless luminaries and presidents under its pink Mayan roof. "A fascinating mashup of midcentury elegance and Annenberg gaudiness," says Lubell.
This jewel box was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s perennially overlooked son Lloyd Wright, says Lubell. "The chapel of dark wood columns and glass walls completely disappears into its majestic surroundings."
"A floating glass cube hovers over the Hollywood Hills, pulling the Los Angeles basin below into its living room," says Lubell. The Stahl House (or Case Study House #22) may be the most famous midcentury building of all-time.
"This concrete wonder appears to float hundreds of tons of smooth concrete above your head," says Lubell. "Colorful, geometric light streams in, and you’re filled with awe."
This Berkeley masterpiece was made famous by photographer Man Ray. "The stunning hillside home lets you float over the San Francisco Bay and surrounds you in intricate, warm detailing," says Lubell.
Built for famed jazz musician Dave Brubeck and his family, this Oakland Hills home is essentially a bridge, says Lubell, "a long, narrow glass and steel bar hovering amidst the thick tree canopy on exposed steel beams above a carport."
Wright’s last work consists of a string of long, horizontal buildings, topped with curved blue roofs, bridging the tops of three hills. "The slender structures are connected by circular domes—one fitted with a jagged spire—evocative both of Middle Eastern design and Star Wars," says Lubell.
The campus of this resort town is stop #1 for many modernist pilgrimages, "This collection of rustic-inspired modern houses fuses with one of the most raw, beautiful seaside plots in the world," says Lubell.
"A subtle gem located on the grounds of a cliffside Benedictine abbey, this library unfolds in a surprising, superlative sequence of volume and light," says Lubell.
Sited on a woodsy 3.5 acre plot, this U-shaped residence is centered around a formal Japanese courtyard hidden by a large garden wall, says Lubell. "The most famous house in Portland epitomizes Yeon's masterful interpretation of modernism, merging the movement’s simplicity and functionality with Northwest materials and aesthetics and a significant Asian influence."
The undulating concrete tower has become an iconic part of Commencement Bay, says Lubell. "It combines the aesthetics of rocket ships, grain silos, and cake icing tubes, dotted with amazing oval-shaped windows—similar to boat portholes—that frame unique views from the rooms inside."
The cool modernist tower resting impossibly on a narrow concrete base was designed by the same architect as the World Trade Center. "You can’t believe it until you see it," says Lubell. "And even then you can’t believe it."
"I call this exquisite building in Seattle’s Ravenna-Bryant neighborhood an architectural mixing bowl, bringing together sublime, modulated light, Pacific native culture, and midcentury modern simplicity," says Lubell. "It also uses Eames chairs as pews. Awesome."
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