Photograph by Julius Shulman Van der Leeuw House II: View of roof with Richard Neutra Los Angeles, California, 1966, Printed in 2008.

The Friends of the Neutra VDL Research Site are pleased to announce that a photograph of Richard and Dion Neutra’s unique Silver Lake home and studio taken by famed architectural photographer Julius Shulman is available for sale through the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design.

The print depicts Richard Neutra sitting on the terrace of the VDL II wing of the compound viewing its cooling water roof. The prints are numbered and signed by Julius Shulman (image 16 x 20 inches; sheet 21 x 24 inches); twice as large as the original 8 x 10 inch photograph taken over 40 years earlier.

Many have inquired as to where an affordable print can be purchased. In comparison to other available prints this print is extremely affordable AND the proceeds go towards a relevant cause.

For more information please visit the Neutra VDL website.

“Coming up this week are two events that will benefit the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Modern Committee and honor the late master photographer Julius Shulman. On May 12th at the American Cinematheque in Hollywood there will be a screening of the documentary Visual Acoustics, a film which is a testament to the evolution of modern architecture and a joyful portrait of the gentleman who chronicled it with his unforgettable images.

The second event takes place May 15th at the Shulman House. 50 lucky guests will travel via motocoach to the former home and studio in the Hollywood Hills. There will be cocktails and hors d’œuvres at sunset in the steel-and-glass house designed by Raphael Soriano in 1950, and in the extensive gardens by visionary mid-century landscape designer Garrett Eckbo.

The benefit program will also include a silent auction, guest speakers, and a brief visit to a nearby home also featured in the film. The coach will leave from the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood promptly at 6 p.m., and arrive back at the theatre at 9:30 p.m.

For more info about both events click HERE.”

Shulman House - Photo by Aiken Weiss

Discussion on the listing / house can be found at Curbed LA.

Case Study House #22

If you would like to visit the Case Study House #22, you can. Below is a link to the website which gives you tour dates / arrangements. In my opinion, this is one of the most spectacular sites in Los Angeles and perhaps the world.

http://www.stahlhouse.com/

One of Neutra’s most famous and important works is his own family’s former home, the VDL Research House. (It was called VDL after the Dutch philanthropist Dr C. H. Van Der Leeuw, who provided Neutra with the loan for the project.) Modern in design, VDL came to be known as a “glass” house” because of its many floor-to-ceiling windows. It was built to accommodate three families on a small 60×70 foot lot that included patios and gardens, as well as energy-saving innovations such as large overhangs and a rooftop reflecting pool that helped to keep the structure cool. Neutra proved that modern urban design could be at once beautiful, affordable, and environmentally-friendly.

VDL also housed Neutra’s office, where he designed hundreds of other projects over a thirty-year period. In addition to Shulman, many others began their professional careers with Neutra, including the architects Gregory Ain, Harwell Hamilton Harris, Donald Wexler, and Raphael Soriano.

In 1990, Neutra’s wife Dione gave a $100,000 endowment and the VDL Research House to the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design. Through the College, public and educational tours of the site have been made possible. However, VDL faces an immediate threat. Insurance and maintenance for the complex have proven costly, and VDL is long overdue for repairs, including a leaking roof that has caused water damage, and the uneven settlement of the house’s foundation. If the College is unable to raise $30,000 by October 1, 2008, the building could be closed and possibly sold to a private party, thereby resulting in the permanent loss of educational and public access. In addition to the $30,000, the College also hopes to raise another $2 million to cover current and future repairs and expenses.

For more information, and to learn how you can help, visit http://www.neutra-vdl.org/

Interior View

30 images signed by Julius Shulman and Juergen Nogai

$3500.00 per photograph

2 images signed by Frank Gehry, Julius Shulman and Juergen Nogai

$5000.00 per photograph