Mid-Century Modern architecture flourished in Los Angeles. After World War II, there was a building boom for residential homes due to a lack of new construction during the war and shortage of building supplies that went towards the war effort. Many influential architects of the day imagined creating low cost housing that was functional, beautiful and used the materials that were in such short supply during the war. The homes often used a post and beam style to open up exterior walls to incorporate more glass with an intention of blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor space. Los Angeles became a hotbed for innovative design as the city was growing, and it was so well suited to indoor/outdoor living. Many of the most influential architects working in this style went to or taught at USC or the Pasadena Art Center College of Design.
There are individual mid-century homes all over the greater Los Angeles area. Some of the most famous were part of the Case Study Houses program sponsored by Arts & Architecture Magazine. They include Eames House (Case Study House #8) by Charles and Ray Eames in the Pacific Palisades as well as the iconic Stahl House (Case Study House #22) in the Hollywood Hills by Pierre Koenig. There are also pockets of mid-century homes scattered around the city that were created by developers. Joseph Eichler was very influential in shaping the Los Angeles modern look with developments in Thousand Oaks, Granada Hills, and Burbank. Palmer and Krisel also developed mid-century homes, one of the pockets being the “Living Conditioned Homes’ in Northridge.
The architects working in this style in Los Angeles include: Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, Pierre Koenig, Eliel Saarinen, Eero Saarinen, Rudolph Schindler, Ralph Rapson, Kemper Nomland, Kemper Nomland, Jr., Craig Ellwood, John Rex, A. Quincy Jones, and many others.
