NEUTRA OWNERS OF THE WORLD IFTD Neutra Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 1 January, 1998

File: 1/1 Neutra Newsletter No. 1 1/1/98

I'm Dion Neutra, Excecutive Consultant for the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design, a non-profit Corporation founded by friends of the Neutra Practice in the 60s. One of our Projects [96-9] involves the formation of a Neutra Owners Association.

Working on the Neutra Drawing Show last October-November here in Los Angeles, made me appreciate even more living in 'The Colony' at Neutra Place here in Silverlake!

The amount of publicity and interest about this exhibition once again illustrated the appreciation with which our work is regarded as the 20th Century counts down. At the same time, I'm seeing increasingly that our works are being remodeled and destroyed before my very eyes, to where, if something is not done about this, there will be precious few AUTHENTIC survivors of this oeuvre for the next century.

To this end, I'm acting for this Institute to start operations on a Website, www. Neutra.org, on which we'll announce our interest in assisting Neutra Owners with maintenance, modifications, remodelings, and any issues around their buildings that they need help on. I'm prepared to work with local professionals to assure quality and integrity to any modifications that must be made to your building to bring it up to current standards and to better suit your requirements.

I'd like to build some sense of neighborhood and commonality among Neutra owners and others surrounding us both near and far. I'm reminded that it's been nearly 20 years since we last contacted the whole group of Neutra Owners for currency and up-to-date occupants. Some of you have already been contacted again now, but for the rest, if you'd fill out or reply to the questions on the enclosures of this Newsletter, we'd up-date our database.

One way to do this is to exchange Email and Web site addresses as we celebrate 75 years in practice, and venture into the electronic age of the 21st century. I'm dion@neutra.org. If those of you on line, who have not already given me an E address, would write us, we'll start a list of these addresses. I thought we could start a kind of 'group bulletin' or Newsletter system of communicating amongst ourselves on matter of interest. This is the first example of this effort; let us know your response.

As mentioned, the Institute is in the process of setting up a web site. This will be some time in the designing, but once up and running could serve as a rallying point for us all to post bulletins and communicate as well as retrieve materials of interest to Neutra Owners. I think it's high time that we band together to preserve the Neutra Heritage before most of it disappears from the earth. My model is the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation which is way ahead of us on this, but recognized long ago, the importance of saving extant examples of the master's work.

I hope many of you will sign on as Friends of the VDL House. Cash donations would be appreciated. You may have expertise you'd be willing to share. Later, we'll need docents to conduct tours; there are many opportunities to participate. The restoration of the VDL is our 'Project of the Month' for this edition of the Newsletter. It illustrates the plight of Neutra Projects even after they've been designated as official 'Cultural Monuments' of the City of Los Angeles. It's a lovely honor, but it carries with it absolutely NO funding, tax relief or any other form of 'perk' that translates into making it easier to keep the project alive and well!

One of the features we plan to incorporate into these Newsletters is a 'Preserve Neutra Architecture' segment, in which we'll communicate current news on threatened Neutra Projects, or matters of interest in the preservation area, such as current efforts to preserve the work in an authentic manner, so if you have plans to make changes, please do contact me and let's get your project on track. If you know of Neutra projects that have been or are threatened, let us know.

We will be communicating other matters of interest to you from time to time. I'm hoping that you will be inspired to join with other Neutra Owners in a world-wide fellowship with communication between us all, and perhaps even an annual meeting for those who can plan a trip to the L.A. area. More on this in later editions.

Meanwhile, please check in with us, let other Neutra Owners know of us, and let us have your exact address information so we may address you properly. Up-date us from time to time, as things change.

Best wishes to you all, and please DO avail yourselves of my presence on the planet when it comes to up-grading, remodeling, maintenance, whatever you contemplate needs doing with your Neutra Project!

Sincerely,

DION NEUTRA, Architect, Executive Consultant for The Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design 2440 Neutra Place Los Angeles, CA 90039-3141 Phone/Fax: 213 666 1806