Freestyle: The New Architecture and Design from Los Angeles [Hardcover]

Tim Street Porter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1986

Inside and outside, Los Angeles is America's laboratory for radical design. This is an introduction to a prominent and provocative group of West Coast architects and designers whose work has redefined the look of contemporary American design. It includes the work of Frank Gehry, Eric Moss, Brian Murphy, Thom Mayne and Michael Rotondi.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The architectural and design styles explored here sprang up in the late 1970s, largely influenced by the renovation of an old house by architect Frank Gehry that used corrugated metal and chain-link fence as elements of design, not temporary construction materials. From that house has emerged a style that seems less a school of design than a state of mindwhimsical, bright, perhaps slightly anarchistic. It is called "new wave" and is tempered by a Punk aesthetic. It combines with the Memphis style and is unmistakably Californian. Among the best examples of this style are the Petal House, an older home whose roof was renovated and "exploded" outward to resemble open flower petals, making way for a Jacuzzi, and a series of cubical studios topped by pyramids. A clean, admirable text that is free of "art babble" complements the beautiful color photography reminiscent of the House & Garden style (author-photographer Street-Porter is a regular contributor). Although this is a strikingly attractive book, it is somewhat incongruous that such an unconventional subject is covered in such an ordinary format. First serial to Metropolitan Home and California Magazine.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Stewart Tabori & Chang; 1st edition (September 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941434915
• ISBN-13: 978-0941434911
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,690,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars L.A.'s most interesting architects and their creations, October 27, 2009

By 

M. J. Breit "omnivorous reader" (Boulder, Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Freestyle: The New Architecture and Design from Los Angeles (Hardcover)

There is a lot more to Los Angeles architecture than boring tract houses in the Valley or over-the-top status symbols in Beverly Hills. In fact, L.A. is home to some of the most interesting building designs anywhere. It makes sense, really. The hills, the ocean, the tropical climate (all those pools!) the movie studios (which sometimes built homes for movie sets) combine to provide conditions for unusual architecture to thrive. But most importantly, it is the creative, non-traditional modern architects and their outside-the-box mentality that provides the focus of this book. As the author points out, there's less a sense that there is a fixed set of rules, and the Los Angeles architect sees himself as free to do whatever he pleases and to make architecture fundamentally sensual.
Most of the book is dedicated to the "New Wave" that began in the late 1970's, a trend that incorporates graphic design resulting in houses that are "bright, lively, full of humor, suffused with light and vibrant with color". Architect Frank Gehry, some of whose buildings have actually become tourist attractions, receives considerable attention. Some of the other names (and quite a few are discussed) are less well known and maybe not as prolific, but their creations are no less fascinating.
While the text is interesting and provides good commentary and historical perspective, it is the photographs that make this book a pleasure to peruse. Beautiful pictures of amazing houses, both inside and out. Think of the best pages of upscale shelter magazines (Architectural Digest, Metropolitan Home, Elle Decor, etc.) plus a very good understanding of the L.A. culture and lifestyle, and you get the idea. I lived in Los Angeles for many years and this book brought back memories of houses that I could only fantasize about living in.