The Schwimmer Residence by John Lautner, FAIA

A modern hilltop castle perched on a magical 4.33 acre site above Beverly Hills with commanding 180 degrree views from downtown to the Pacific.

The private gate opens to an ingeniously engineered cantilevered concrete driveway which wraps around the hillside, through mature foliage leading to a large entry motor court  for a dramtic introduction to the symphony of concrete, natural stone and rounded shapes to come.  

The structure is conceived to curve around the topography of the site and merges the dramatic proportions with circular geometric shapes.  Cylindrical stone columns,  large enough to house a bar,  bathrooms and closets,  are the main structural support on the downhill side and support the arched  ceilings made of vertical grain fir.  They are complemented by glass walls, exquisite wooden detail in wall coverings and built ins,  and the signature Lautner Bouquet Canyon stone surfaces.  

The main level offers  a living-dining-kitchen area with a curved wide hall running the length of the house, along a library and the master suite.  The lower level features three additional bedroom suites and maid's quarters.  Flanking the west end of the structure is a cantilevered pavillion leading to a private pool and terrace.

As in all of his most significant work,  Lautner created  strong, powerful, elegant and sensuous forms guided by his main concern:  the relation of the human being to space and the space to nature.