Cradled at the base of the Santa Monica bluffs across the roar of the Pacific Coast Highway stands the original 6,000 square foot Lewin Residence, designed in 1938 by Richard Neutra. To the south of the residence, across 100 yards of beach and a bike path, lies the Pacific Ocean.
The owners sought a complimentary addition consisting of three distinct areas that would create a cloistered environment. Each lies in conversation with the nuances of the original structure.
The first and second, a new garage and servant's living area, create a wall to the street, sheltering the residence from the traffic beyond and forming a courtyard against which the original house serves as a backdrop.
The third, an entertainment pavilion, is enclosed on three sides by glass and is centrally positioned and linked to the original building by an arched glass bridge.
The palette of poured-in-place concrete, frameless glass, exposed structural steel, and stainless steel pay homage to the early California Modernist movement, creating a new building with its own character, while still deferring respectively to the legacy of the adjacent master.
“
Steven Ehrlich designed a new structure that is next to not there. Neutra built a solid; technology helped Mr. Ehrlich create a vaulted void.”
The New York Times