03 Oct 2024
Los Angeles-based Conner + Perry Architects, the current architects of record for the Sheats-Goldstein Residence and Estate, unveil the property’s newly completed annexe, Club James. Originally envisioned by renowned mid-century architect John Lautner and estate owner James Goldstein, the development and completion of the accessory entertainment facility symbolizes a fully collaborative effort between Goldstein and three design teams that span nearly fifty years.
As one of Los Angeles’s most famous mid-century homes, the Sheats-Goldstein Residence is nearly as iconic as the Hollywood sign itself, having been featured countless times in film, television, fashion, and music videos, and widely revered in architecture and design circles. With a long and complex construction history that initially began in 1962 between John Lautner and the Sheats family, and later with Lautner and current owner James Goldstein, the famed Beverly Hills enclave has been expanded upon and enhanced numerous times throughout the last seven decades in collaboration with three different architectural teams. Kristopher Conner and James Perry, of Conner + Perry Architects, have collaborated with Goldstein on the design and have overseen subsequent additions since 2015. Before that, the duo worked as Project Architects with Duncan Nicholson, Lautner’s apprentice and associate, who continued work at the property following Lautner’s death in 1994.
The newest work on the property, Club James, is located adjacent to the original residence. It was determined, due to the intensive nature of construction required for the planned hillside tennis court, that the office and a new entertainment space should be located beneath the new structure.
While Lautner’s original master plan can still be seen in the wood and cardboard model hanging in the house today, the current design for Club James was initially a collaboration between Goldstein and Nicholson, and later Conner + Perry Architects. Construction first started in the early 2000s and, as the project continued, the program expanded and evolved to include an entertainment space, VIP room/library, offices for Goldstein and his assistants, a movie screening room, an outdoor terrace with dining and kitchen facilities, and a pool and spa. The current team's latest design for the outdoor terrace, which includes the main stairs, restroom, kitchen and BBQ zones, dining tables, locker room, and pool, was completed in 2023.
“The most rewarding aspect of this project is working with a client and patron like Jim who enjoys the process as much as the outcome and has the perseverance to pursue an architecture that will stand the test of time,” notes James Perry.
“It was a huge responsibility and an honour to take over the reins of this project and to be included in the lineage of amazing designers involved in the development and expansion of the property over the decades," adds Kristopher Conner. "It is a delicate balance to preserve and respect the genius of the original residence while developing designs that are in dialogue with it. We look at our work as an evolution of the visual language established by Lautner. The DNA of the house is there, but the expression is adapted to the environment and functions of the new spaces.”
Beyond cultivating these new and ever-changing designs, Conner + Perry Architects also oversees maintenance and restoration work on the original Sheats-Goldstein Residence, as well as repairs and upgrades to the James Turrell Skyspace installation “Above Horizon.” Just like Nicholson before them, Conner and Perry’s designs aim to honour Lautner and Goldstein's architectural legacy by keeping with the tenets of the philosophy of organic architecture, adapting core ideas to meet new functions, inventing new details and forms, and creating spaces that celebrate freedom in the human spirit.
“The thing that differentiates this property from many other significant mid-century homes in LA is that it is not a static museum frozen in time or a private retreat," says Perry. “It is full of life, with tours, and shoots, and events, all of which expose the public to this unique work of art; and it is alive in that it is continuously progressing and improving, with a lineage of three generations of architects and a team of consultants and tradespeople who make it all possible.”
In fact, in a remarkable act of philanthropy, Goldstein has bequeathed the entire property, as well as his extensive fashion and art collections, to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), ensuring that this architectural treasure and cultural mainstay will be preserved, shared with the public, and serve to inspire future generations of designers.
“John Lautner's work is a radical advancement in his teacher Frank Lloyd Wright's search for a uniquely American architectural language; it is somehow both of its time and timeless, an expression of boundless optimism and freedom, an attempt to reconnect us to nature through an embrace of technological advancement with a deep appreciation of human craft," concludes Conner. "The Sheats-Goldstein residence is one of the best examples of these pursuits, as Lautner was given the opportunity, the time, and the means to perfect the home over years of collaboration with Goldstein. James and I have had the privilege of continuing Lautner and Goldstein’s work while making our unique contributions to the property’s legacy.”
Sheats-Goldstein Estate Design + Development Timeline
1962 – 1963, JOHN LAUTNER: Paul and Helen Sheats commission and complete construction of the original Sheats Residence with John Lautner for their family of 5.
1972: James Goldstein purchases the property.
1979 – 1994, JOHN LAUTNER: Goldstein hires Lautner to revisit the house and begin a series of renovations that they would term “perfecting” the house; to bring the construction more in line with Lautner’s original vision for the architecture and to collaborate on new improvements with Goldstein.
1994 – 2015, DUNCAN NICHOLSON: John Lautner’s associate, Duncan Nicholson, forms Nicholson Architects and continues to evolve the designs in conjunction with James Goldstein, overseeing the completion of the Nightclub, Offices, and Tennis Court portions of the project, as well as completing the James Turrell Skyspace “Above Horizon”.
2015 And Beyond, CONNER + PERRY ARCHITECTS: Architects Kristopher Conner and James Perry, who had been working on the Goldstein property under Nicholson since 2007, found their eponymous firm Conner + Perry Architects, and take the reigns as the architects of record for the property. The firm’s future work will include the next phases of development at the estate, including a theatre and a guest house. In 2016, James Goldstein bequeathed the entire property, as well as his extensive fashion and art collections, to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
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