Kappe House Earns Landmark Status From Heritage Board

The Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to grant official landmark status to a 28-year-old Pacific Palisades house despite the panel chairwoman’s earlier concerns that building might be too new for such designation. The matter had provoked much discussion about Los Angeles’ role as a showcase for modern architecture.

Commission head Mary George said the beauty of the Brooktree Road house designed and lived in by noted modernist architect Ray Kappe overcame any prior thoughts that official “historic-cultural monuments” should be of a minimum age. She added, however, that she still wants the commission to study landmark rules in other cities, such as New York City’s requirement that official landmarks be at least 30 years old.

Commission staff members had described the dramatically cantilevered house of wooden beams and glass expanses as an international icon of design. The Los Angeles City Council is expected to give the Kappe house final approval as a historic-cultural monument.