Modern-Meets-Historic Contrasting Architecture
Beverly Hills and Los Angeles is home to a wide array of eclectic architectural styles. Buildings in the late 1800s and early 1900s were often Spanish Colonial, Mediterranean, Victorian, Tudor Revival, Neoclassical, and Art Nouveau. The city is known for being a cradle for the evolution of modern residential architecture as Hollywood Regency, Craftsman, and Art Deco emerged in the beginning of the 20th century followed by the modern styles of Frank Lloyd Wright, R.M. Schindler, Richard Neutra, and John Lautner.
LA’s modern contemporary residential design influencers such as Frank Gehry, Richard Meier, Richard Landry, and Paul McClean often create spaces with clean minimal features reminiscent of modern mid-century design with elevated proportions, rare materials, glass walls, and open lofted designs.
As style spans from traditional decorative to modern minimalism a stark contrast arises between the two philosophies of design. The beauty of this contrast has become an element of post modern contemporary architecture. One of the most famous and notable uses of architectural contrast is the Louvre Pyramid designed by I.M. Pei. This gleaming structure is a modern gem for the center bezel eyelet of the world’s most famous museum. In the 1980’s the dramatic juxtaposition of the museums renaissance courtyard and minimalist geometric structure was a controversial design innovation for the time. The beauty of old and new is captured in the semblance of contrasting forms.
IM Pei Louvre Pyramid Napoleon Court
C. Abad. Louvre Council. Louvre. louvre.fr/louvre-conseil
Modern-meets-historic contrasting architecture is a luxurious rendition of old world artistic charm mixed with contemporary sophistication. By preserving the materials and design of historic architecture another level of sustainable quality is reached and appreciated. Architecture is a form of art that is often left to the ruin of time. By remodeling and maintaining the design while accompanying a contemporary structure, the building becomes a unique blend of eras with multiple levels of compositional intrigue.
While Los Angeles boasts a broad spectrum of design styles, the dynamism of old-meets-new is still far and few between as an amalgamated structure. In the old world cities and towns of Europe and the East Coast this trend is en vogue.
One of the most prolific designers spanning the pond between LA and London is Architect Gregory Phillips. His Sevenoaks project located in Kent, England is a perfect example of a refurbishment that has transformed the traditional character of a country farmhouse into an open floorplan masterpiece with a modern glazed extension connecting two structures.
Sevenoaks - Gregory Philips Architects. gregoryphillips.com/project/sevenoaks/
Another phenomenal example of a contemporary update to a traditional design is a project by Phillips in Chiswick, West London. A Victorian home was extended with a contemporary patina brass clad structure providing openness to the layout with more space. The modern addition creates a stunning framed vignette of the historic building.
Cheswick - Gregory Philips Architects. gregoryphillips.com/project/chiswick/
Architect Henri Cleinge is a designer that renovated a two-hundred year old Quebec stone house by adding an addition and merging the ancestral cottage with a modern industrial clad design that presents expansive glass windows.
Bord-du-Lac House - Henri Cleinge
16 Sep 2013. ArchDaily. Accessed 3 Feb 2021. archdaily.com/427829/bord-du-lac-house-henri-cleinge
Maas Architecten in the Netherlands built this cherished Dutch style home that is an inspiring mix of familiar gables with traditional thatched roofing. An eye-catching modern greenhouse structure extends beyond the roofline providing sleek minimalist contrast along with a contemporary glass corridor that forms a courtyard for entertaining. While this design is not a preservation effort, it is an clever use of old and new methods.
Modern Countryside Villa in Berlicum, the Netherlands - Maas Architecten
Griffiths, Alyn. (2017, April 14). Maas Architecten merges a thatched cottage with a glass greenhouse. Dezeen. dezeen.com/2017/04/14/modern-countryside-villa-maas-architecten-thatched-cottage-glass-greenhouse
The blending of architectural eras creates a compelling and dynamic polarity between minimalist and traditional design features. Fundamental stories about inhabitants are told while evoking descriptions of historic places. They offer a sense of tangible legacy from past generations and draw full appreciation of the era’s technological and artistic prowess. The ability to create a modern interpretation of these earlier designs is a perfect deterrent to demolition and may be an opportunity for conservators to preserve history.
1938 Tudor Revival - 361 N Citrus - Photo by Adrian Scott
(2019, November 19). Los Angeles Needs Stronger Demolition Deterrents. Los Angeles Conservancy. laconservancy.tumblr.com/post/189174892685/los-angeles..
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing arts is a prime example of a Beverly Hills modern-meets-historic architectural ingenuity. Completed in 2010, this adaptive use of the Beverly Hills Post Office, in combination with a contemporary theatre and sculpture garden, creates the perfect meld of contrasting modern and traditional design features.
Gallery. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. thewallis.org/gallery-photos.php?id=167
Modern doesn’t always contrast with traditional architecture. In downtown Santa Monica a historic Spanish Colonial Revival was rehabilitated as part of the new Proper Hotel. The building is accompanied by a new structure portraying a modern harmonic expression that complements the historic urban landscape.
Proper Hotel - Howard Laks Architects
Sharp, Steven. (2018, February 5). Santa Monica Proper Hotel Tops Out. Urbanize Los Angeles. urbanize.city/la/post/santa-monica-proper-hotel-tops-out
It is important to maintain the artistic integrity of buildings that are part of the history and stories of our metropolitan cities and its inhabitants. As modern designs compete with dilapidated structures, the efforts to restore and sustain historic architecture is appreciated and admired as they are exhibited in new light.
L.A. Before 1940. Los Angeles Conservancy. laconservancy.org/explore-la/curating…
Louvre Council. Louvre. louvre.fr/louvre-conseil
Gregory Philips Architects. gregoryphillips.com/
Griffiths, Alyn. (2017, April 14). Maas Architecten merges a thatched cottage with a glass greenhouse. Dezeen. dezeen.com/2017/04/14/modern-countryside-villa-maas-architecten-thatched-cottage-glass-greenhouse
(2019, November 19). Los Angeles Needs Stronger Demolition Deterrents. Los Angeles Conservancy. laconservancy.tumblr.com/post/189174892685/los-angeles..
16 Sep 2013. ArchDaily. Accessed 3 Feb 2021. archdaily.com/427829/bord-du-lac-house-henri-cleinge
Santa Monica Conservancy. Preservation Awards. smconservancy.org/news-advocacy/preservation-awards/
Jordana, Sebastian. (2010, March 21) Arch Daily. Wallis Annenberg center for the Performing Arts / SPF:a. archdaily.com/53474/wallis-annenberg-center-for-the-performing..