John Lautner

John Lautner (1911-1994) born in Marquette, Michigan (USA) is an American architect. The vast forests and the deep blue in the neighborhood where he grew up have been of indelible significance for his work. Lautner participated six years in the architecture department at "Taliesin" by Frank Lloyd Wright. John Lautner is regarded as one of the major American architects of the last century.  

Lautner has had a private practice for 55 years. A lot of his special and unique houses are the outskirts of Los Angeles (USA), but also elsewhere in the world, he realized projects. The relationship between man and space and that of the space to nature is central to his work. In an interview, he once did the characteristic pronunciation "Shelter is the most basic human need" and "The purpose of Architecture is to improve human life. Create timeless, free, joyous spaces for all activities in life. The infinite variety of these spaces can be as varied as life itself and they must be as sensible as nature in deriving from a main idea and flowering into a beautiful entity."  

Below is a part of his personal notes for a speech he gave at the end 60-early 70-s.  

 “ I don’t believe the essence of Architecture has much to do with the techniques or styles or rationales of the moment. (Architecture occurs all thru the ages and still is Architecture.) I think we must more than ever seek and continually search for the real ideals and bases of Architecture – as Human Guides to wade through the morass of pressures to regiment – to expedite etc. The world’s richest nation should be able to produce a free – beautiful – Architecture for individuals – for people – to daily increase the Joy in life. Too much of what goes on today are “facilities” as announced in our papers and magazines. They are seldom Architecture but presumably practical, economic executions of so many square feet of floor with lots of machinery and very little for the whole human being – places where one can work until one can get out – when they should be places where one would like to stay and work better and more. Architecture being involved with everything is like life itself when it is real Architecture – alive, fresh, exhilarating – yet solid and enduring………  

…….what I have been talking about is the thinking and bases to see and do what man really needs. No one manufactures or sells in this area (it is too intangible). This is for the Architect. Actually many of the new problems may not be new except in physical numbers as man as a human being hasn’t changed much. As handy as it would be to make man a statistic it is not valid. It might be done with dope and I guess it is even considered – but then its it worth living? I find we have achieved windowless air conditions environments. We have never considered all the possibilities of just natural light and ventilation – We seldom see a ventilated building so we must have air conditions – The banks require it – we forget what the people require – The BASICS.”  

 

Internet
John Lautner foundation

Books"John Lautner Architect", door Frank Esher
"The Architecture of John Lautner", door Alen Weintraub

Photo's

Picasa album John Lautner Foundation