The Californian landscape wouldn’t be the same without the iconic buildings of architect John Lautner, with his soaring glass and concrete mansions capturing the optimism of mid-century architecture. The celebrated architect would have been 100 last week, and to mark this milestone, the John Lautner Foundation has organized tours of some of the architect's most beloved Los Angeles properties.  While we unfortunately aren’t in L.A. to enjoy this, we took the opportunity to revisit his amazing work through one of our personal favourites – The Sheats-Goldstein residence. The home, a somewhat cave-like dwelling, overlooks Benedictine Canyon in Beverly Hills and is considered one of the best examples of Lautner's work. Designing not only the house, but also the interiors, windows, lighting and furniture, Lautner created an aesthetic where form became a function of the whole.

Originally built in 1963 for Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sheats, the house fell into disrepair until new owner James Goldstein purchased it in 1972 and commissioned Lautner to restore its appearance in keeping with his original design philosophy.  The house undertook a series of renovations that took place over two decades. James Goldstein still owns the house today, and continues with the upkeep to preserve the architects vision.

Lautner’s homes have become Hollywood icons in their own right, having been film sets for many a Hollywood blockbuster. You may recognize the Sheats house from both The Big Lebowski and Charlie’s Angels films. Have a watch of the great montage Curbed LA put together of Lautner’s work featured throughout cinematic history.

Story by Louisa Penney

John Lautner on Film from curbed los angeles on Vimeo.