Hollyhock House Interior Frank Lloyd Wright

Perched atop Barnsdall Art Park overlooking Los Angeles is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House, an architectural masterpiece. You might never know this structure existed in the middle of our city unless you picnicked in Barnsdall Park, are a Frank Lloyd Wright stan, or followed the history of Los Angeles architecture. I had the great privilege of taking a private tour of the space and it was a special afternoon I won’t ever forget.

In the field of architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright is a master whose work I have been continually drawn to, so much that seeking it out has become a small hobby of mine. I have a list of FLW architectural sites that I enjoy diligently checking off one by one. While in Scottsdale, Arizona a few years ago I had the opportunity to take part in a private tour of Wright’s West Coast HQ Taliesin West which further exposed me to his process and legacy which further amplified my interest in his work. Wright’s use of sacred geometry, concrete, and wood pulls me in on a cellular level and I feel fortunate to have experienced many of his works on the West Coast.

The Hollyhock House was recently (2019) named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it the first in Los Angeles and one of three in California alongside Yosemite and Redwood National Park. It is a national historical landmark raised above Hollywood Blvd. called by many a jewel in this city’s crown.

On July 10, 2019, Hollyhock House was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of “The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright,” which includes eight sites spanning 50 years of Wright’s career. The collection represents the first modern architecture designation for the U.S. In addition to Hollyhock House (Los Angeles’s first World Heritage Site), the group inscription includes Unity Temple (constructed 1906-09, Oak Park, Illinois), the Frederick C. Robie House (constructed 1910, Chicago), Taliesin (begun 1911, Spring Green, Wisconsin), Fallingwater (constructed 1936-39, Mill Run, Pennsylvania), the Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House (constructed 1936-37, Madison, Wisconsin), Taliesin West (begun 1938, Scottsdale, Arizona), and the Solomon Guggenheim Museum, (completed 1959, New York). [source]

Hollyhock House Exterior Frank Lloyd Wright

Built between 1919 - 1921 by Frank Lloyd Wright, considered by many as “America’s most important 20th century architect”, Hollyhock House was the vision of oil heiress Aline Barnsdall. In 1927 she graciously gave the house and surrounding area to the city of Los Angeles and to this day we can still enjoy its splendor with docent-guided tours, wearing protective shoe booties on our feet, of course. Hollyhock House is named after Barnsdall’s favorite flower - the hollyhock. [source] Throughout the home you can see visions of the floral motif constructed in textiles, stone, furniture, and art glass. To the delight of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and architectural aficionados alike, the house went into a three-year restoration in 2012, reopening to the public in 2015. Although Los Angeles marks the home of many FLW residencies, this currently the only one open to the public.

First time American architecture has been recognized on the World Heritage List
Developed architectural aesthetic that combined indoor and outdoor living spaces
Hollyhock House is the only Frank Lloyd Wright residence in Los Angeles open to the public

Hollyhock House Windows Frank Lloyd Wright

I spent hours in the Hollyhock House absorbing its essence and imagining what kinds of people passed through its doors. The vast information shared by its lovely docents allows for one’s imagination to take off. The utmost care and attention given to this extraordinary place is palpable and it whisks you away to another dimension and time. To witness the creative genius of humans is always inspiring and uplifting. You can feel each stroke of magic in this house. There is harmony at the top of Barnsdall Art Park and I think everyone who appreciates beauty should experience it at least once.