From Googie to great: uncovering truth and beauty in John Lautner's architecture

Unrestricted After he designed the Jetsons-esque Googie’s coffee shop, architect John Lautner (1911–1994) was panned for creating a laughable caricature of modern design. "Stick to residential," the critics implored, and for the most part, Lautner did: in a career that spanned a half-century, he designed nearly 200 homes, primarily in Los Angeles. As a residential architect, he excelled: his houses speak to the elemental nature of the living space, while also incorporating cutting-edge design. His innovative ideas fundamentally changed the way we think about housing, and his incorporation of technology and transportation in his designs (both residential and commercial) helped define Los Angeles’ modern image. Despite his imprint on the city, Lautner was rarely lauded for his design genius, and himself became disillusioned with the politics of the architectural world. As a result, few know the architectural legacy of a man who learned from Frank Lloyd Wright and influenced Frank Gehry, and in some ways surpassed them. But now, after increasing popularity on the real estate market and the exhibition of his first major career retrospective, people are starting to see the truth and beauty in Lautner’s work.

非受限（Unrestricted）：在设计出带有《杰森一家》（The Jetsons）风格的古奇（Googie）咖啡餐厅后，建筑师约翰·劳特纳（John Lautner，1911–1994）遭评论家抨击，被指创作了滑稽可笑的现代设计拙劣模仿品。评论家们恳请他“专注于住宅设计领域”，而劳特纳也确实在绝大多数时候遵从了这一建议。在长达半个世纪的职业生涯中，他共设计了近200座住宅，其中绝大多数坐落于洛杉矶。作为住宅建筑师，他造诣颇深：其作品既贴合居住空间的本质属性，又融入了前沿的设计理念。他的创新理念从根本上改变了人们对于住宅的认知，而在住宅与商业建筑设计中融入科技与交通元素的做法，更助力塑造了洛杉矶的现代城市形象。尽管劳特纳为这座城市留下了深刻的印记，他却极少因设计天赋获得赞誉，本人也对建筑界的行业生态感到幻灭。正因如此，鲜有世人知晓，这位曾师从弗兰克·劳埃德·赖特（Frank Lloyd Wright）、影响了弗兰克·盖里（Frank Gehry），甚至在某些方面超越两位大师的建筑师，究竟留下了怎样的建筑遗产。但如今，随着他的作品在房地产市场愈发受到追捧，加之其首次大型职业回顾展的举办，人们开始逐渐领略劳特纳作品中的真谛与美感。