Los Angeles preservationists have reason to celebrate this week as the landmark Hollyhock House has finally reopened following a two-year closure due to the pandemic. The poured concrete marvel, located at 4800 Hollywood Blvd. on the grounds of Barnsdall Art Park in eastern Hollywood, was Frank Lloyd Wright’s first Los Angeles commission and is currently the only area residence created by the legendary architect accessible to the public.
Both the house and surrounding park were the brainchild of millionaire oil heiress Aline Barnsdall, who relocated from Chicago to L.A. in 1915 with the hopes of establishing a community art complex complete with a theater, artist studios, actor dormitories, homes for visiting directors and a private dwelling for herself. She selected a picturesque hilltop plot for the project and promptly hired Wright to bring it to fruition.
Constructed from 1919 to 1921 with Frank’s son, Lloyd Wright, and then-fledgling architect Rudolph Schindler overseeing much of the work, Hollyhock House became the complex’s centerpiece. Featuring a formidable façade accented by Mayan and Japanese influences, with handsome friezes inspired by Aline’s favorite flower, the hollyhock, dotted throughout, the senior Wright described the property’s unique style as “California Romanza.”
Although Barnsdall and Frank butted heads throughout the build, which resulted in his eventual firing with only three of the complex’s planned structures completed, the Hollyhock House stands as one of his finest works, a glorious fortress of concrete and wood situated atop a grassy bluff overlooking virtually all of the city. As such, its influence is still felt today. The property’s official website deems the abode’s “innovative plan and bold aesthetic” as “catalysts for the modern California architecture movement.”