3 great stories by Gehry
When the name Frank Gehry is mentioned these days, Disney Hall in downtown Los Angeles probably comes to mind.
Less well known are the 30-some houses Gehry has designed. Of these, about 25 were built, all locally. One is the Schnabel, which bears its owners’ name. The Brentwood home was designed for Rockwell Schnabel, then ambassador to Finland, and his wife, Marna, a graduate of USC with a degree in architecture. Gehry later called her “an active participant in the design process.” Among the family’s realized desires were a variety of outdoor spaces.
The three-story Schnabel residence is one of the better-known Gehry-designed houses, widely publicized even before it was designed. Four months before it was due to be finished in 1988, the ambassador was quoted in The Times as saying, “It’s up and running, looking wonderful.”
The focal point of the walled compound is a cruciform structure sheathed in lead-coated copper panels. The structure houses the entry, reached by a footpath, as well as the living and dining rooms and the library.
One of the two guesthouses was modeled after the Griffith Observatory, which Marna Schnabel fondly recalled visiting as a child. A dome represents the observatory. That guesthouse became Rockwell’s office.
The entire home, likened in “Frank O. Gehry: The Complete Works” to “a villagelike arrangement of forms,” was built of such utilitarian materials as plywood for the ceilings and sheet-metal cabinetry.
The grounds were planted in drought-resistant plants. The landscape designer was Nancy Goslee Power, who later worked on the landscaping of Disney Hall.
About this house: After the Schnabel, Gehry, now 77, designed and built only a few more single-family homes. By then, he had more commercial commissions.
Asking price: $8,950,000
Size: There are four bedrooms and five bathrooms in 5,400 square feet.
Features: There are skylights, a step-down living room and an entertainment pavilion. The three-level house has no elevator. The Schnabel compound also has a lap pool.
Where: Brentwood
Listing agent: Mary Lu Tuthill, (310) 979-3990, and Kathleen Tuthill Marino, (310) 979-3989, at Coldwell Banker, Brentwood.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send color interior and exterior photos on a CD with caption information and a description of the house, including what makes the property unusual, to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Questions may be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
