Schindler: James Steele

The space architecture of Rudolph Schindler

Hailing from Vienna, Rudolph Michael Schindler (1887–1953) emigrated to Chicago in 1914, like his lifelong friend and rival Richard Neutra. Eventually hired by Frank Lloyd Wright to work in Los Angeles, Schindler took cues from notions found in Cubism and the International Style to shape his unique vision: a style he called “space architecture,” combining geometrical shapes, bold lines, and materials such as wood and concrete, with space as a medium in its own right, one to be controlled just like color or mass.

This radical approach earned Schindler little recognition in his lifetime—but today, he is hailed as one of America’s most important Modernist pioneers. Discover such key projects as the Wolfe House, nestled in a steep hillside; the tree house-like Falk Apartment Building; the Lovell Beach House, recognized as one of the foremost examples of the Modernist canon in America; the Schindler/Chace House, Schindler’s most crucial work and his personal practice and home, which he shared with his family and that of Neutra.

From private homes to small commercial buildings, Schindler’s groundbreaking designs heralded a new era of contemporary construction. This collection is complete with a map locating all of the architect’s most renowned projects, detailed entries, floor plans, as well as crisp photography of each structure and its interiors.