Amazing Views Punctuate Historical Neutra Design
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When shipbuilder John Rados purchased a large, hillside lot overlooking the Port of Los Angeles in the 50s, he turned to a fellow Austro-Hungarian to create a home that would put those views to best use — Richard Neutra.
Rados fled the Austro-Hungarian Empire with his family 50 years prior to the purchase of that land, and by then his family had built the Harbor Boat Building Company into one of the country’s most prolific shipbuilding firms.
Neutra was a wise choice for the Rancho Palos Verdes, California, land, as he was known for his unfussy post-war design that showcased the phenomenal views available in Southern California.
And this 1957 home, which is believed to be his biggest, showcases Neutra’s design philosophy, which emphasized a “ready-for-anything” plan that relied on open living spaces that were flexible and easily transformed for any need.
A long, private drive leads to a home that, from the front elevation, is unassuming. Behind those walls, however, is a 4,000 square foot home that has been carved from the hillside, using terrazzo floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding glass doors, and marine-grade wood beams to make open spaces that still feel cozy, with 270-degree views of the LA basin, the San Gabriel Mountains, the San Jacinto Mountains, and Dana Point.
