Architecture As Fine Art

Table Of Content

• Want to read another architectural case study?
• Take a video tour through Pasadena’s iconic Gamble House
• Craftsman Design
• Charles and Henry Greene’s Gamble House Employs Architecture as Fine Art
• California Historical Landmark Marker
• Worldwide Church of God Historical Site
• The Gamble House – Pasadena’s Craftsman Masterpiece

Built-in cabinetry and myriad other features betray meticulous attention to detail, both functional and aesthetic, with due appreciation for and a deep understanding of materials and their appropriate uses. Studying together, the Greenes had three years of polytechnic instruction at the Manual Training School of Washington University in St. Louis prior to their formal architectural training at MIT from 1888 to 1891. H. Richardson in Boston before heading out to California to visit their parents in 1893.

Tour the Servants Quarters at the Gamble House - LAmag - Los Angeles Magazine

Tour the Servants Quarters at the Gamble House - LAmag.

Posted: Fri, 31 Jul 2015 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Want to read another architectural case study?

However, their father and grander ideas, and suggested they become architects, which is when the brothers enrolled in the School of Architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Even though both brothers had found work at architecture firms, by 1893 their parents requested the boys move to California. The brothers agreed, but stopped at the World’s Columbian Exhibition in Chicago, a stop that would influence their design for the remainder of their careers, and play a role in California’s design heritage. It was here that the brothers first gazed upon Japanese architecture, and what an impact it made. Upon arriving in Pasadena, the brothers founded their own firm, Greene & Greene, creating fine and artistic examples of Craftsman style architecture, all with heavy influences of Japan. Various elements throughout the Gamble House reflect Japanese architecture and design.

Take a video tour through Pasadena’s iconic Gamble House

The chevron pattern denotes public formal spaces for entertaining, while the linear horizontal flooring presents private, informal spaces where the family would spend their time. Since their father was a respiratory physician, the brothers also believed in the importance of living a healthy lifestyle full of circulating air and sunshine. They incorporating this theory into each of the houses they designed in their careers.

Craftsman Design

Due to the fragility of the interior of the Gamble house, with many of its original rugs and furnishings, it made filming inside impossible. So, the producers selected another Greene and Greene home, the Blacker House, also in Pasadena. The Blacker House was at the time of filming, and today remains a private residence, and has only been available for tours during Craftsman Weekend. Beginning the tours with such an artisanal masterpiece showed us how much dedicated work goes into keeping these iconic structures alive. The interior of the Gamble House is paneled lavishly in exotic hardwoods—Burmese teak in the entry hall and living room and Honduras mahogany in the dining room.

'Upstairs Downstairs' Tour at Gamble House The South Pasadenan - The South Pasadenan

'Upstairs Downstairs' Tour at Gamble House The South Pasadenan.

Posted: Wed, 02 Aug 2017 07:00:00 GMT [source]

While most Craftsman bungalows constructed at the time were small, the Greene brothers expanded on the traditional floor plan to create an “ultimate bungalow” that evokes a sense of grandeur while remaining grounded. Eventually, Cecil and Louise decided they didn’t need such a large house, and put it on the market. A couple came by the house to look at the house, and the husband lamented about how dark it was inside, and the wife replied that they would just paint everything white. Horrified, Cecil and Louise promptly told them the house was no longer for sale, and continued to live in the home.

This dining space reveals a smooth, velvety glow that permeates the space, which is created by a lack of direct lighting. Shown here is one of the living spaces that’s filled with intricate woodworking and handcrafted furniture. The various spaces of the house are separated by different wood patterns on the floor.

In 1952, they earned praise from the national AIA level for creating a “new and native architecture.” The two brothers died in the late 1950s. The grounds are free to visit and roam, as is the bookstore located within the garage, which offers a wide selection of books on the American Craftsman movement, postcards, and more. But I’ve been slowly making pilgrimages to Back to the Future filming locations, and the Gamble House was used as the exterior of Doc Brown’s house.

Constructed in 1908–1909 as a home for David B. Gamble, son of the Procter & Gamble founder James Gamble, it is today a National Historic Landmark, a California Historical Landmark, and open to the public for tours and events. Adhering to a curatorial philosophy rooted in the first principle that The Gamble House Conservancy exists primarily to conserve and interpret the work of architects Charles and Henry Greene as represented by The Gamble House. Conservation, interpretation and acquisitions shall prioritize the period of significance represented by the patronage of the Gamble family and the design production of architects Charles and Henry Greene between 1907 and 1916. Objects accessioned into the collection subsequent to the original 1966 gift shall be treated with the same level of care and ethical consideration as the balance of the collection. No gift shall be accepted that is not directly relevant to the interpretation of The Gamble House, architects Greene & Greene, the Gamble family, or the American Arts & Crafts movement.

The Gamble House – Pasadena’s Craftsman Masterpiece

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong talks with Princeton historian Julian Zelizer about Johnson’s gamble with far-right Republicans — and whether he’ll keep his job. The images showed a relatively small checker board pattern, and once Karla saw the images she knew that was the original 1908 linoleum. Karla also pointed out that the stove was not of the correct period for the house, and she could assist with sourcing that as well.

The Gamble House uses teak, oak, maple, mahogany, and cedar to incorporate contrasting colors, grains, and textures. Wood details include custom built-ins, inlays, and an exposed interlocking joint staircase. In 1966, the Gamble family decided to pass the home's legacy to the city of Pasadena and the University of Southern California School of Architecture. The house is now open for public tours and serves as the residence for two lucky 5th year USC architecture students every year. The Gamble House was built in 1908 by the Greene and Greene architecture firm for David B. Gamble, son of the Procter & Gamble Founder James Gamble, in Pasadena, California. Today it is considered to be an iconic example of American Craftsman architecture.

The Gamble House was the best known of the Greene Brothers’ “ultimate bungalows,” a Pasadena house type notable for its grand scale, meticulous craftsmanship and range of architectural influences. Designed by brothers Charles and Henry Greene in 1908, the stately house was created as a winter home for David Gamble, a Proctor & Gamble heir, and his wife, Mary. The house was designed in the Arts and Crafts style, which, as the name implies, emphasizes incredible craftsmanship.

Similar curatorial attention and care shall be given to the collection in the Greene & Greene Archives at the Huntington Library. This collection shall prioritize the conservation and collecting of primary research documents and other research material relating to The Gamble House, architects Greene & Greene, the Gambles, and the Arts & Crafts movement. We offer a variety of in-depth docent-led tours designed to focus on features of the house that we are not able to cover in a regular one-hour tour.These tours are conducted by docents with years of experience and a great deal of passion. These longer tours allow them to share with you their own excitement and knowledge while giving you a behind the scenes look at what make this historic landmark so special. Because the house went from the family directly into becoming a museum, much of the original furnishings that were also designed by the Greene brothers are also still in the house. The Gamble House is often described as America’s Craftsman masterpiece, establishing the standard of Craftsman-style homes.

That isn’t to say I can’t appreciate it, as it proved to be innovative, and even influential on Mid-Century Modern, but still, I really don’t seek it out. So why then would I voluntarily go to the Gamble House, one of the most iconic Craftsman homes? Even though this house might look overtly traditional, it was forward-thinking for its day and was even one of the first houses in the area to have electricity. Additionally, an internal intercom system was installed in which members of the household used to communicate with one another. Currently owned by the City of Pasadena and operated by the University of Southern California, the Gamble House is open to the public for tours.

As we were walking through the house, it was clear that the materials the Greenes used came from multiple surprising sources. Though they used maple throughout the house and black walnut in the furniture, they also utilized woods from Myanmar and the Dominican Republic, along with domestic woods from Oregon. Some of the most impressive details could be found in the furniture and lighting fixtures, where they also used a mix of special materials including abalone shell inlays, ebony details, semi-precious stones, leather straps, and carvings of subas and clouds. In order to create such a precise work of art, the Greenes worked with Peter and John Hall, two brothers from Stockholm who were known as master woodworkers, stair builders, and furniture craftsmen.