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Neutra at 80
Introductory Remarks

April 9, 2006
Eagle Rock Recreation Center
Eagle Rock, Los Angeles

Remarks prepared by Dion Neutra on the occasion of the office reunion celebrating 80 years of practice by the Neutra architectural family; first started by his father and continued on by him since 1970, an additional 36 years to date. The remarks were made on Sunday afternoon, April 9, 2006 at the the Eagle Rock Recreation Center Building at Eagle Rock Park, L.A.

We'll have some certificates to present once we establish the winners.

Next, I'd like to recognize Joe Bernardo of our councilman's office who has a presentation to announce; Joe? [Bernardo presents proclamation by City].

This weekend of April 8 and 9, the 114th birthday of Richard Neutra, shall hence be known as 'The Neutra Practice Weekend' in Los Angeles as proclaimed by that recent council meeting. Thank you so much for this official recognition.

Let me continue the festivities of this afternoon by giving you some background on how today came to be, what I'd hoped to accomplish, what all the weekend has encompassed. I'd like to reminisce on some of the recent past of the firm. I'll conclude by making some introductions, hearing from honored guests, awarding some prizes and inviting contributions from the floor. Maybe some of the site owners would like to share what's it like to live in a Neutra. We'll try to conclude this by 5:00 so late comers will still have a chance to look over this building and perhaps join in at our reception at the VDL House starting at 6:30. There are still spaces open for that event.

I had the idea of this event last year as it had been four years since we last recognized the longevity of this firm. I realized that much of what we were illustrating in my proposed book series ""The Neutras, Then and Later" , had already passed into history. Original owners were selling and dying off, and I was presiding over what appeared to be the end of an era.

A word about the publication of this book series; I'm hoping to build on the new relationship being built with the University of Texas Press. They've expressed interest in helping to make this project a reality, Provost Martin, who is here today, has pledged his support and we are exploring the issues as we speak. More from him later in the program.

I wondered what could be done to save something of this legacy. It occurred to me that the practice would be marking its 80th year in practice in 2006, as would I. I checked the calendar and noted that my dad's 114th birth anniversary fell on Saturday, April 8. What better time to convene a celebration. And so Neutra at 80 was born, and after months of preparation and hundreds of hours of effort, the big days are finally here; WE'RE HERE! And the sun was out yesterday for our home tour! Much appreciation for those home occupants who made their interiors available for viewing.

Yesterday, the first of the weekend started off with a bang-up walking home tour centered around Neutra Place in Silverlake. Many of you took part. We had to recruit over 30 docents and figure out how to organize them. Last evening we had the unusual occasion here, to hear how off-spring and followers of famous architects felt about their parent/forbear and dealt with their legacy. I want to pay tribute to my wife Lynn, whose idea this was originally; I think it will be remembered as a high point of the weekend! Hopefuly some of you participated. We took some video and hope to put something together; stay tuned.

For those who couldn't attend, we hosted the likes of Eric Lloyd Wright, Mark Schindler, Emily Ain, Finn Kappe, Lisa Niles , Carla Hartman Eames, Wallace Neff, Jr. and Helene Arahuete of the Lautner practice.

In past years we've commemorated various anniversaries. I was full of hope that these would translate to a series of open houses for the Research House leading to it's being embraced by the public and creating an atmosphere of support for its restoration. Unfortunately that has yet to be realized. I'd hoped under a new director, there could be ways found to integrate volunteer help on that site to move things forward and to find ways to hold that house open to the public on a reliable and regular schedule. We'll revisit this again this evening at our VIP reception.

Five years ago, I determined to see if I could use the occasion of that anniversary to attract as many Neutra owners as possible to come together and form the neucleus of a sort of 'Neutra Community' unified by the notion that they preside over icons of history; the last remaining examples of a remarkable practice. A practice whose work was only then achieving its due recognition, long after it's founder was gone, as is so often the situation. In this case, I have the rare privilege of having lived long enough to witness this on behalf of my father and the firm.

In 2000 and again this past year, we created a data base of known addresses and names of Neutra owners. As you know, it's not yet possible to obtain E-addresses for parties whose sail address is all you know, so were reduced to trying to reach folks by snail mail. This method of communication seemed not to have been that successful. About 10% of our cards came back; maybe 3% of owners responded.

Does this mean people don't care? Who knows. An Institute project is "Personal contacting of last known Neutra addresses to complete our Data Base". We need as much help as possible on this, and I welcome volunteers to visit photograph and ring the doorbells of known Neutra buildings and sites. It is frustrating not even to be able to let these sites know we care.

Another purpose for this celebration is to focus on the Institute as a means of carrying forth into the future the philosophy of the Neutra practice after I have left the scene. There is no official third generation architect standing in the wings to take over the firm as I depart. The only hope is the Institute, which was formed in the 60s and represents the greatest hope for the future of what I'll call 'the Neutra movement'. I would say this movement is characterized by its interest in the application of scientific insights to the built environment with a special emphasis on responsiveness to the needs and health of the user.

I've been trying to attract a cadre of young people to get involved with the activities of this Institute with varying results. All of them have made their mark and helped me immeasurably from time to time. I'd like to mention a group of them by name, x with apologies for any that I've omitted inadvertently:

John Blanton; Carole Boyajian; Devin Colman; Myriam Fares; Buzz Hayes, Roel & Traci Kuiper; Ted and Carolyn Leutzinger, Michael and Donna Locke; Richard Longstreth, Christine Madrid; Miltiades Mandros; Rita Miller; Naruki Nagata; Nick and Max Neutra, Lorri O'grady; Marguerita Wuellner, Erika Stanley; my wife Lynn Smart; my brother Ray and his sons, nephews Brendan, Matthew and Justin; and not be forgotten, Reuben McDavid, Associate Creative Director of the Institute, who is also our webmaster. He has performed beyond the call of duty. I'm sure I'm forgetting key people.

These are representatives of the younger generation, some of whom will represent the future of this Institute. Will those of you present please stand?

The Institute's aims and purposes are published on our website: Neutra.org which tracks the various activities in which we are engaged these days. Included is the 'Traveling Exhibition' of which a sample panel is on display here today. Altogether there are 29 such panels which comprise the show which travels very inexpensively with its custom crate to remote sites. Again, details on the website.

Another program of the Institute was launched in the year of Neutra at 75. It is a scholarship program to support worthy young people who wish to enter the planning field. We presented six of these in June, 2001 at a lunch in Pasadena. We hope to build on this.

In 1970 just after the death of my father, and long before advent of the internet or microwave transmission, I had a vision. It was that the library of the future would have the technology to reach out and capture knowledge the world over and bring it back in for it's local constituency. I expressed that in my design for the Huntington Beach Library and Resource Center with a microwave tower as part of the design, altho no one yet knew what form that should take. I think of that project as the high point of my career; indeed of the Neutra practice on many levels.

We are only now, 35 years later, launching an ambitious program to digitize the Neutra collection at UCLA. We will start with a few pilot projects to ascertain costs, and then apply for grant monies to move into a broader coverage. This is a life-time activity of enormous cost, but of potentially great benefit to future researchers. My vision continues to be that someday a person in Australia would have the ability to know what resides in our collection by viewing documents on their home computer instead of packing up and planning a 3-5 day investment of time to come to town and view the original documents at UCLA. We are today graced by the presence of a representative of Special Collections there, will Kenneth Holmsley please stand? Tell us a bit about your approach to this prodigious task?

The creation of a Neutra Community similar to what has been done by the Frank Lloyd Wright foundation, was one of our major goals for this year. Enlisting you as new members will enable you to help us achieve this in any way you can imagine. We hope to continue publication of E-zines to be distributed from time to time with news of the Neutra Institute to those with computer capabilities. We need story ideas and case studies pertaining to our program, so please start sending those to us.

Preservation of our work is a metaphor for the situation in the country for the plight of all valuable historic examples. This matter emerges as one of the cornerstones of the Institute's focus. We are researching techniques to assist owners of Neutra buildings to ensure their survival in their authentic form. Included are strategies such as Cultural Monument recognition, preservation easements, reverse mortgages, restrictive covenants. These are some of the methodologies we are exploring for various cases. I continue to offer my services in support of authentic restoration and maintenance of buildings as they age, change ownership and adapt to new situations.

Our architecture has the ability to adapt; sometimes much more than new owners can imagine, but the impulse has to flow from the original source to maintain authenticity. If you have problems to solve, give me an opportunity to consult with you. I don't bite and offer a special discount for my services on Neutra projects!

And now, I'd like to pay homage to those who have passed before, starting with my father who passed away in April of 1970 a week or so after his 78th birthday. Today would have been his 114th birthday anniversary! My mother, Dione, passed away in 1990 having lived happily and productively for an additional 20 years in the Research house after the death of her husband. Her 105th birthday celebration would have been next week, April 14! My eldest son Greg, who couldn't be with us this year will celebrate his 54th birthday TODAY; happy birthday Greg!

Of the triumverate of Neutra collaborators in the golden years of the 50s and 60s we pay respect to names like Benno Fischer, Sergei Koschin, and John Blanton. Of that group only John survives;. He is veritable walking archive of memories and first-hand experience in regard to many projects over a 20 year association with the office. Had he been here I would have introduced him; he was with us yesterday.

A nonogenarian is Red Marsh, contractor, who built some 24 of the best quality Neutra structures passed from us shortly after our 75th celebration. His daughter was with us yesterday as well. Someone whose name has become synonymous with the Neutra practice over 75 of those 80 years has been the firm's photographer, Julius Shulman, now over 95 years young. We'll be hearing more from him later, but for now, would you recognize Julius?

It is amazing how many individuals have been associated with this practice who went on to achieve success on their own. Included are names like Gregory Ain, Harwell Hamilton Harris, Raphael Soriano, C.Day Woodford, Maxwell Starkman, Robert Alexander, Bob Kennard, Edward Killingsworth, Yesterday we had the pleasure of hearing from Emily Ain in the panel.

Janice Atzen Furman; Aida Hafely, are some of the original clients who commissioned the work starting in the 50s. We have with us Thelma Huebsch, for whom we designed in Monterey Park in 1958. Other more recent Neutra owners include Alan Lindgren and Ken Carlsten, who own the Meltzer house, are some of the newer owners who we'd hoped would be joining in with us on this occasion. Please any of you present do stand.

A cornerstone of our approach to practice has been from the beginning, "What does the user think?" This applies also to the gracious occupants of yesterdays tour venues. These people are those generous souls without whom we would have nothing through which to tour. Some of them are here, but this is the list. Brian Watson, Sung Yun Cho, Paul Cullum , Miguel Arteta, , George Grandchamp and his wife Dana Balkin , Ken McCown of Cal Poly Pomona. Thanks so much for sharing your Neutra interiors with us all.

We are keeping a video record of these events which we hope one day will become a full fledged documentary film on the practice. I am co-producing this epic with my grandson Max and son Nick with help from Aaron, and Todd. Are you here? If so, please stand so we can meet you!

We both thank all of you who are or will be granting us video interviews about your impressions and experiences with the Neutra practice, as well as allowing our cameras to traverse some of your sites.

It occurred to me to devise a series of prizes to award to various categories of visitors.

I. Prize for the oldest surviving original Neutra Client who commissioned a design.
II. Prize for the client who traveled the furthest to join us here today.
III. Prize for the owner of the oldest surviving Neutra project

And the winner is!

Aida Hafely, owner of a 1953 Neutra in Long Beach. She also qualifies as the client who traveled furthest today, and the owner of the oldest surviving Neutra Project!

We will get your certificate to you after this program, and congratulations! Let's give this winner a big hand?

As we reach the end of this part of our day, let me bring you up to date on the status of some of our preservation efforts on behalf of the Neutra practice.

The star story like this still has to be the Gettysburg Cyclorama Center. After eight years of effort on the part of scores of dedicated professionals, the National Park Service is still resolute in its plan to demolish our building at its historic site despite the fact that nothing is to be built there to replace it. We are still considering our strategic options in the face of a new national administration. We have had the services of a pro bono legal firm in San Francisco to try to figure out legal options.

The other star in the preservation department has to be the Kraigher House in Brownsville, TX. Built in 1937 for the chief pilot of Pan American Airways, whose headquarters at that time were in Brownsville, this house had fallen on hard times already in the 80s when it was boarded up and offered for sale by the then owners, the Franke Brothers, wealthy developers. No one wanted this modernist house, and it accumulated layers of graffiti over time.

In the early 90s I heard about this from an enthusiast, Alan Clyde, who had visited and photographed the sorry sight. I tried to indicate my interest in helping to save this site until it was finally bought by the City in about 1998. They seemed not to know how they would utilize the building and could not identify funding to restore it.

This sorry state of affairs persisted until just this last year when the University of Texas, Brownsville branch under the tuteledge of Provost Martin, finally came up with a plan, which was heartily endorsed by the City's new chief of downtown preservation, Peter Goodman; lease the property to the University for 99 years at a cost of ONE DOLLAR. This meant that no dollars were used up in acquiring the right to preserve the property, and there was at last a chance to remove this project from the 11 most endangered list of the National Trust.

I had inveigled an invitation to speak in Dallas and Houston in February; offered to divert to Brownsville on the way, which the University accepted. We had a historic meeting in town over the weekend of February 18-19. It was the first time a Neutra had visited town in about 70 years! We toured the site and marveled that it was still standing. The term 'cantilevered Stucco' was coined. Everyone vowed to do a superlative job of restoration saving as much of the historic fabric as possible.

Later we'll hear in detail from the Provost how they see t his program progressing.

As we reach the end of this formal program, I want to acknowledge Sharon Nishihara, and her Rec and Park staff of this building for all their support and patience with what it took to put this together.

At this point, I'd like to direct your attention to that doorway over there; pointing.

(Through the door come several people carrying a birthday cake with candles blazing. Dion leads the group in singing 'Happy Birthday' to the firm. The inscription on the cake reads 'Happy Birthday Richard and Dione; 114 and 105 years young; Happy 80th to the firm.)

Let's take a break now to enjoy some refreshment and cake. Back in 15.

As we reconvene, the next and most exciting to me, part of our program is the introduction of what I'll call the Brownsville contingency, consisting of Provost Jose Martin, his wife Daghma, and City Historic Preservation official, Peter Goodman. They are joined by trustee Rosemary Breedlove and her husband Cleve. They've come all this way to join us and report on their exciting preservation effort on behalf of the Kraigher House; Provost Martin? [Remarks].

I'd like to acknowledge the presence of Cal Poly's Provost Thomas Morales. We are honored by your presence, sir, if you'd care to make a few remarks. [Remarks]

And now, it's time to hear from Julius Shulman, photographer extraordinaire, who at 95 is an inspiration for how one continues to be vital into the 9th decade! Julius started with my dad at about the same time as the Kraigher house was being started in far away Texas; it's one of the few Neutras he never got a chance to photograph. There's still a chance; let's see if we can get him out there for the final photos after the restoration! Julius? [Remarks].

We'd like to formally acknowledge Neutra site owners at this time. Would you stand and let's get mikes to them for a few remarks.

[Remarks]

This concludes our program; again, thanks for being here; hope to see you again, and keep in touch by Email!

Dion Neutra is principal of Richard and Dion Neutra, Architects and Associates, the Los Angeles firm founded by Richard Neutra in the early 1920s. He has continued the practice since the death of his father in 1970. He can be reached at 2440 Neutra Place, Los Angeles, CA 90039-3141; phone/fax (323) 666-1806, e-mail dion@neutra.org.

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