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The structure was to be constructed entirely from "off-the-shelf" parts available from steel fabricators catalogs. The Eames House, residence of designers Charles and Ray Eames, was built on a three-acre plot of land overlooking the coast in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was one of the first residences built under the Case Study House Program, a housing project sponsored by Arts and Architecture magazine and its editor, John Entenza.
Timeline
The Eames House Living Room - The New York Times
The Eames House Living Room.
Posted: Thu, 06 Oct 2011 07:00:00 GMT [source]
This is because it was considered a functional and comfortable living space while at the same time making an architectural statement. The Case Study House 8 was such an inspiration that it was even used as the setting for fashion shoots during the 1950s and 1960s for magazine publications like “Vogue”. Just goes to show that human-centered design was and will probably always be the most sought-after design style.
How to Visit
The ‘Bridge House,’ as it was first called, got its start in 1945, when Charles Eames and close friend Eero Saarinen began designing it. The home was part of the ‘Case Study House’ program, an ambitious idea set forth by Arts and Architecture Magazine that had architects create “progressive yet modest homes” that were fit for humanity’s place in the modern world. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable, and I only wish I could have thought of more questions to ask at the time.
How Many Case Study Houses Still Exist?
Both structures are predominantly characterized by their steel frame construction, filled with a variety of colored panels. The colored panels aren’t merely decorative; they are functional elements carefully calibrated to provide shifting patterns of light and shade throughout the day. The impact of light, so finely tuned in the design, showcases influences from Japanese architecture.
Charles and Ray Eames: Photos of the Legendary Designers in 1950 - LIFE
Charles and Ray Eames: Photos of the Legendary Designers in 1950.
Posted: Sun, 08 Aug 2021 19:19:39 GMT [source]
Case Study House 8 offered these spouses and designers space where work, play, life, and nature coexisted. The Eames House, Case Study House 8, was one of roughly two dozen homes built as part of The Case Study House Program. John Entenza, the editor and owner of Arts & Architecture magazine, spearheaded the program in the mid-1940s until its end in the mid-1960s. The exterior of the final house has an air of the industrial and yet is also playful with the contrasting coloured panels. This is house that was designed to be lived in, a family grew up here, it was not a weekend summer house. Husband-and-wife team Charles and Ray Eames were a major design force in midcentury America, leaving a widespread legacy not only in architecture, but also in filmmaking, furniture, graphics, and exhibition and industrial design.
The Eames was meant to be an updated version of a 19th-century English club chair with the warm, welcoming look of a well-worn baseball mitt. And while the chair wasn't created with a "For Dudes" stamp on it, after almost 70 years of marketing and culture, it's developed a certain reputation. Even though the windows, photography is not permitted, and visitors are asked not to take pictures about 20 feet from the house.
AD Classics: Eames House / Charles and Ray Eames
The design of the house was proposed by Charles and Ray as part of the famous Case Study House program for John Entenza's Arts & Architecture magazine. The houses were documented before, during and after construction for publication in Arts & Architecture. The Eames' proposal for the Case Study House No. 8 reflected their own household and their own needs; a young married couple wanting a place to live, work and entertain in one undemanding setting in harmony with the site.
Structures
The composition of exposed structure is softened by the artful arrangement of pops of color, akin to a Mondrian painting. The play of solid and void filters the sunlight, provides privacy, and creates ever-changing shadows and patterns on the floor. Contrast to the cold steel framing that forms the structure, the interior of the house is warm and comforting with its wood-block floor and the soft light penetrating into each room through each day.
An 8-foot tall by 200-foot long concrete wall helps to anchor the site while also setting a dramatic backdrop for the architecture. Nestled in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles stands the Eames House, also known as Case Study House No. 8. It is more than just a work of mid-century modern architecture; it’s an enduring testament to the design sensibilities and philosophies of Charles and Ray Eames, the husband-and-wife team who not only designed it but also called it home. Built in 1949, this iconic structure encapsulates the couple’s holistic approach to design and life. Of the twenty-five Case Study Houses built, the Eames house is considered the most successful both as an architectural statement and as a comfortable, functional living space.
In 2012, the Getty Conservation Institute pledged $250K to preserve it for future generations. The Eames House is actually made up of two different glass and steel rectangular structures— one is the house and the other a studio. The structures are both two stories tall and their exteriors are covered in black-painted grids. This only consists of an exterior tour due to the sensitive nature of the historical materials in the house. The reasoning behind this was that only the husband had to get ready for work during the mornings. Of course, post-war, when women were also becoming accustomed to having jobs, the multi-bathroom home became a popular notion in America.
Learn more about the Eames Foundation, its 250-year preservation plan for the Eames House, and how to visit this historic landmark. Charles and Ray moved into the Eames House (Case Study House #8) on Christmas Eve in 1949, and lived there for the rest of their lives. The interior, its objects, and its collections remain very much the way they were in Charles and Ray’s lifetimes.
The Eames House is considered one of the most influential post-World War II residences in the world—one in which we hope will continue to inspire architects, designers, and an array of people across the globe. The rooms are liberating, flowing into one another even between floors through the double-height spaces. For example, the bedroom on the upper level overlooks the public living room with a short terrace that connects the rooms. There are no major divisions other than the separation of the two boxes, which still merge into one another with the courtyard. The house is an unrolling scroll of a Mondrian painting that exemplifies the use prefabricated materials to create beautiful endless space. Originally known as Case Study House No. 8, the Eames House was such a spatially pleasant modern residence that it became the home of the architects themselves.
It was part of the Case Study House Program, a pioneering initiative launched by the magazine Arts & Architecture in 1945 to explore the potential of modern architecture in post-World War II America. Leading architects of the time were commissioned to design and build low-cost, innovative homes that could be easily replicated for the masses. The Eames House tour is an experience that allows you a glimpse into the life of this prolific duo. Whether you want to better understand mid-century design, enjoy a peak at the working spaces, or just looking for a fun afternoon, this reservation is a must.
In 1948, when the material finally arrived, Charles and Ray had fallen in love with the surrounding meadows and reformatted the building using the same material, with the addition of a single steel section. Both provide double-height spaces at the corners and outer ends of both programs. This allows for a composition that breaks the space up rhythmetically, and is read on the exterior of the house with the exterior courtyard serving as a double-height space in between both boxes.
Perhaps the proof of its success in fulfilling its program is the fact that it remained at the center of the Eameses' life and work from the time they moved in (Christmas Eve 1949) until their deaths. If you are a mid-century modern architecture or furniture design fan, then Case Study House #8, also known as the Eames House, is probably already on your bucket list. The combination of the black lines created by the pre-manufactured steel supports and the primary-colored panels have a sense of familiarity to it because it strongly reminds of the famous Piet Mondrian paintings. While doing a paint excavation study for the conservation plan of the house, researchers found that some of the panels were previously painted a warm gray, which indicated that Ray Eames mixed the paint by hand. The Eames House, which is also referred to as the Case Study House 8, is a prime example of modern architecture that is found in Los Angeles.
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