What We Did

In collaboration with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Dylan Turk led a deep exploration of Los Angeles through its most pioneering domestic architecture. The tour wove through emblematic private homes and public landmarks, tracing how mid-century experimentation—from cantilevered glass houses to textile-block masterpieces—continues to shape how we live, imagine, and site culture.

Why It Matters

Los Angeles redefined the possibilities of domestic space. Whether sheltered in Wright’s Mayan-inspired concrete blocks or perched in open-plan steel-and-glass modernism, these homes reflect a city in flux—optimistic, boundary-pushing, and inherently cinematic. This architectural journey invites us to reconsider how design not only shelters, but also shapes collective vision.

Curator’s Note

Moving from house to house under the warm California sky, I sensed how each structure held a chapter of LA’s ambition. The canyon-clinging steel frames, the storybook tiles, the textile-block walls—they’re not just stylistic choices—they are conversations between architect, place, and era. In those walls, LA’s identity isn’t just archived—its animated.

Collection Highlight

Our group was able to spend several hours at the Stahl House. Famously Pierre Koenig’s Case Study #22. Made famous by Julius Schulman’s iconic photograph as the symbol for modernism in Los Angeles.