John Lautner designed the Chemosphere in 1960 for aerospace engineer Leonard Malin, who had a steep lot and a small budget.
The octagonal house sits on a single concrete column; you reach it by funicular.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica once called it the most modern home built in the world. Publisher Benedikt Taschen restored it in the 2000s.
Timeline
- 1960The house is completed.
- 2000Benedikt Taschen buys and restores it.
- 2004Designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
A hard lot and a small budget produced one of the most recognizable houses in America.
