Styleture

The famous Blue Jay Way in the Hollywood Hills

Situated just north of the world-famous Sunset Strip in the Hollywood Hills is the neighborhood known as Doheny Estates – often called the Bird Streets as a result of street names including Oriole, Thrasher and Warbler. It is within this prestigious residential community that some of the most architecturally impressive homes in the region can be found. Inspired residences that span from mid-century modern, to ultra-modern, to veritable castles can be seen dotting the hillsides. Conveniently located in regards to accessing the best parts of the Los Angeles, and within close proximity to the city’s best dining and nightlife, it’s little wonder that the Bird Streets have been attracting Hollywood royalty like moths to a flame.

1654 Blue Jay Way is a large and luxurious modern Bird Streets home in Los Angeles, California, once owned by funnyman and media mogul Tyler Perry. Boasting three different levels with balconies, courtyards and spectacular views of the Hollywood Hills, it is undoubtedly one of the finest homes in Southern California. The interior is decidedly modern with a sleek stairwell that opens up the floor plan of the dining and living areas. The staircase itself is impressively made out of steel beams and railings. The color scheme throughout the house includes white, black, nude and brown finishes, furniture and fixtures. Special features of the house include a billiards room and a striking nightclub bar and lounge. A true bachelor home, Tyler Perry is said to have enjoyed some pretty wild parties here. Read the rest of this entry »

Modern architecture was popularized in the 1950’s by renowned architects such as Joseph Eichler with a style of homes that came to be known as “California Modern.” These homes were characterized by glass walls, open floor plans, and post-and-beam construction. They can still be seen in many communities throughout Northern and Southern California, and there are even organized tours that allow architectural enthusiasts to get an up-close look at homes built during this significant design movement.

One such tour is taking place in Sacramento, CA on Saturday, June 26 – the city’s first-ever tour of this kind. Fans of Modern architecture and design can get a brief glimpse into what it would be like to live and work in more than 20 different California Modern homes and commercial structures built between 1945 and 1970.

Participants will receive informational booklets and driving maps and are allowed to visit the residences at their own pace and in any order that they wish. Additionally, each location will have homeowners and tour guides present to answer any questions visitors might have regarding these unique works of modern architecture.

To find more information about purchasing tickets for the tour visit http://sacmcmhometour.blogspot.com/. And if you know of any other Mid-Century Modern tours please share them with us in the comments.

Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Tour

Fine wine and architecture make for a nice pairing. Where to find it? Quixote Winery in Napa Valley, California. I recently had the opportunity to attend a tasting here and truly enjoyed their signature “screw cap” Petite Syrah. It seems most everyone does, including the staff at Food and Wine magazine who rated Quixote one of the twenty best new wineries in the world between 1999 and 2004.

However, even more amazing than the wine is the winery’s architecture. Quixote is the first, last and only building in North America ever designed by the legendary Viennese antimodernist architect Frederick Hundertwasser.

Hunderwasser Designed Winery

As you can tell from the winery’s architecture, Hundertwasser wasn’t a fan of straight lines, flat surfaces or right angles. In fact, none of his projects feature them. Quixote is no exception. From its onion-shaped dome covered in gold leaf to its rounded pillar columns and uneven lines – Quixote was one of Hundertwasseis’ last testaments to the ornate, curvaceous designs of Europe. The winery took 10 years to build, and the architect did not see it in its final state. Quixote with its Dr. Seuss -like décor, bright colorful mosaic tiles and delicious wines is a must stop destination when in the Napa Valley.

Quixote Winery, Napa Valley

Many tourists use their summer and winter vacations to travel around the world to view some of the most spectacular, newest and most interesting buildings built by man. Here we are highlighting a few of our own suggestions of architectural destinations for you to consider in the coming months due to their newness, restoration completion and limited engagements.

Fairmont Plaza Architectural Tour (Limited Engagement): For a limited time and on a month by month basis this summer, The Plaza in Central Park is offering architectural tours of the hotel. The tours are being shown twice a week and include tours of The Oak Room, The Palm Court, the Grand Ballroom and some views of the amazing rooms and suites. The tours are led by architectural historian, author and teacher Francis Morrone. The tour is about 45 minutes and are being held every Tuesday and Saturday in June at 3pm by reservation only. The tours have a limit of 20 people and are as of now only scheduled to take place in June (but we assume they will most likely go through the summer). To reserve a spot, call The Plaza Boutique at 212-588-8012.	The Plaza Hotel NYC
Marcel Breuer Exhibit	Marcel Breuer: Design and Architecture – Marcel Breuer (1902-1981) was one of the leading architects and designers of the 20th century due to his experiments with tubular steel for furniture designs such as his famous “Wassily” club chair. In the 1930’s he also created furniture with at the time unconventional materials such as aluminum and laminated wood. It was also during this time that he designed sleek interiors of buildings that were created by some of the most influential architects of the time. This exhibit shows the various creative periods during his career, materials used, and architectural work categorized in themes of “Spaces,” “Volumes,” and “Houses”. His architectural examples show innovations in spatial organization, construction techniques, and architectural forms which defines his architectural works.This exhibit was last shown in 2007, so if you can catch it we highly recommend it. If interested you can visit the Museam of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design until July 19th, 2009 to view this exhibit: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Exhibit Description: “The first exhibition to treat all facets of Breuer’s work with equal weight, from the highly innovative furniture he produced as both a student and teacher at the famed Bauhaus, to the modest houses he created after moving to the United States, to the large-scale buildings he designed for major cities. Models, drawings, floorplans, photographs, video projections, and interactive computer terminals shed light on his long and varied architectural career in this exhibition, developed by the Vitra Design Museum in Germany.” Museum of Art – The Rhode Island School of Design
The Standard in New York City: Another hotel in New York worth visiting is the new Standard which has just been finished this past spring. The Standard has been designed by the Polshek Partnership Architects and consists of a concrete and glass slab on stilts, located on the West Side of Manhattan in the meat packing district. The hotel has just opened a hip and upscale restaurant and beer garden at ground level with bars and a lounge on the top two floors of the hotel which will prove to be some of the new hot spots of the city. Although this architectural specimen is much unlike the plaza described above, it is a modern take on the ‘hip’ architecture of today. If you are a fan of modern / minimalist design you will enjoy your stay at the hotel, but make sure to get the Hudson River side for the view, and bring your nicest shoes as there is a great night life within walking distance in the meatpacking district. The Standard 848 Washington Street, New York (212) 645-4646	NYC - The Standard
Frank Lloyd Write	The Robie House – by Frank Lloyd Wright – Although this house was completed over 90 years ago, it remains a masterpiece of modern architecture. The reason this is one of the top destinations of 2009 is that it been going through a ten year restoration process that is being finished in the next year. In order to beat the crowds at the centennial anniversary in Spring of 2010, now is the best time to see this work of art. You can tour this FLW house which was built for the final cost of $58,500 for his client Frederick C. Robie. and completed in 1910. The house is one of the most important buildings in American architecture, and is considered the greatest example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style home. This home is the first example of an architectural style that is unique to American Architecture which in turn inspired an architectural revolution. The house has sweeping horizontal lines, dramatic overhangs, stretches of art glass windows and an open floor plan which are all still used today in many contemporary designs. Robie House – Tours: Friday – Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm 5757 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago Illinois Call 1-800-514-3849 for tickets
Burj Dubai- The World’s Tallest Skyscraper – This is the tallest building in the world with 160 floors and standing approximately 2,600 feet tall, and truly is an architectural miracle. The building has required over 5,000 workers to use 330,000 cubic meters of concrete, 39,000 metric tons of steel rebar and 142,000 sq meters of glass. This tower houses residential occupants, commercial spaces, restaurants, retail spaces and hospitality spaces such as the world’s first Armani Hotel and Armani Residences. This building is slated to be completed in 2009, and is already the world’s tallest building as well as the world’s tallest man made structure with the mast now taller than that of the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota. It is a remarkable scene and can be seen towering above the clouds when flying into Dubai. Burj Dubai Official Website	Tallest Building - Burj Dubai