Photo by Tim Street-Porter
Artinfo reports that Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House (located in Los Feliz, California and inspired by ancient Mayan ruins), is being offered for sale for $15 million (!) by the Ennis House Foundation. Eric Lloyd Wright, Frank’s grandson and a member of the non-profit’s board, believes that a private owner is the best way to maintain the home in the current economy.
After grabbing this sneak peek inside of Wright’s Isabel Roberts House last week (which mind you, went for around $800K in 1988), we can see why the price is so high. Kind of. Plus, according to the LA Times, this is the largest of his experimental “textile block” houses, so for the right architecture geek (with deep pockets) it would be a big score. That said, the LAT estimates that the new owner will face “a projected bill of $5 million to $7 million to return the house to its former grandeur.”
So, how much should it cost to live in a work of art?
Comments (1)
From the start of construction, the Ennis house has had numerous structural problems. The 'textile block' system was still experimental. Lloyd Wright, FLW's son who was overseeing the project, sent photos to FLW of walls buckling and blocks popping out. Most scholars believe the system was overwhelmed by the size of the project.
The Ennis family also cut corners in construction. The rooms were to be taller than they are. They chose materials and furnishings that Wright objected to. When a later owner of the home asked Wright to do sketches of an interior remodel, the product is much more satisfying that what the interior presently looks like.
I hope they find a buyer. What is 20 million to a big time actor? One picture? I hope whoever buys the home can spend even more to attempt to bring the home up to the true vision Wright had for the place. Sadly, that has yet to be realized.
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